27/01/2010
Today I like to present the conversation that I had with one of our senior colleague who did his Ophthalmic Assistant course at Madurai Medical College, Madurai and now a Marketing Professional in class.
K. Srinivasan (44 Years )is a person par excellence. He is at present residing in Bangalore. From a mediocre background to a very successful professional he had traveled a long journey. He is hard working, intelligent (both in his school/College Days), a very good artist, enjoys reading, watches only sensible movies along with his family. I have known him close to 25 years as a friend, class mate and as a family friend. A Graduate from University of Madras and holds PG Degree in Marketing Management from University of Mysore apart from Diploma Pharmacy and Diploma in Ophthalmic Assistant from MMC, Madurai.
Veerasamy: Good Afternoon! Srinivasan. It is very nice talking to you. Pl tell me about your career journey from an Ophthalmic Assistant to a Marketing Professional.
Srinivasan: A Very Good Afternoon. It is been almost 21 years since I have entered into Marketing Field and all I can say is that my career is successful. After my course I joined Aravind Research Foundation, Madurai as Basic Eye Health Worker and worked there about a year. In Feb 1989 I have joined M/S. Crosland’s Research Lab Ltd as a Professional Service Representative based in Hubli , Karnataka. I have had vast experience in working in various reputed Pharmaceutical houses in India in different managerial position in Karnataka region. In 2004 I joined M/s. Infosys BPO Ltd in BANGALORE. After 2 years working there I moved to Institute Of Clinical Research (India) as a Regional Manager (South) based in Bangalore. Due to better managerial exposure I then moved to M/S. Bilcare Research Academy- a Pune Based Clinical Trial Management Services company which launched its Clinical Research Training Program in Bangalore in 2008 as a Marketing Manager looking after South India.
After working there till April 2009, I then moved to Au-Kbc Research Centre in MIT Campus, Chrompet, Chennai as a Clinical Trial Management Program Promotion Officer and at present I am with this Centre which is providing Clinical Trial Management Training to the Professionals. My job is to market this Training Program by organizing various promo activities including giving a guest speech at various Universities, colleges and institutions in order to promote clinical Research Education offered by the Centre at Anna University Chennai.
Veerasamy: Nice to know about your experience. Please tell me have ever repented for not joining the Govt.Service as an Ophthalmic Assistant and what is your opinion about forming a Council for the Vision Care Professionals of India.
Srinivasan: Not at all. It gives me immense pleasure that I have gone into a Private Sector where I have had enough learning experience and I am very happy the way my career progressed as of now.
It is very sad to know that you people have no common banner to get organized. You have the strength and purpose to form the council. Get organized first then move to the next level of excellence. Vision Council of India is a good idea. By 2011 you must realize this goal.
Veerasamy: Thank You!
Srinivasan: It’s my pleasure talking to you. Wish you guys all the very best in 2010.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Road Ahead for Vision Care Professionals of India
Many of us in the Vision Care Profession aware about the initiative taken by Vision 2020: 'The Right to Sight' India in forming an independent Council for Vision Care Professionals in the country through a Steering committee comprising members from different cadres. I think 2 or 3 times this committee was convened and discussed under the banner of Vision 2020 India.
A draft proposal of the council was prepared and discussed in these meetings as well as outside among our colleagues for strengthening the draft proposal. After repeated discussions and deliberations both Optometrist and Ophthalmic Assistants Association have accepted to form 'Vision Council of India' (VCI). Members of Optometrists and Ophthalmic Assistants can be incorporated in to this council in a separate classification (sub clause).
In our country there are independent councils for nurses, doctors, dentists and pharmacists and are very well organized. But for the Vision Care Professionals (who are responsible for the primary eye care and are considered as the back bone of the Blindness Control Program) we do not have such independent council to steer our fellow members at the moment.
I, wonder why so much of delay in establishing a council. Indeed it is a BIG question which does not have an answer. In the army a cadre without a commander is almost useless and we need a proper regulatory council which can act as a supreme body in order to bring all of us in to one fold. In the absence of such scenario the only sufferer is our rural poor people and they will suffer a lot by irreparable visual loss if we do not act now together.
Time is running out for all of us. Let’s take a pledge to resolve this issue in 2010.
Some of our colleagues also felt the need for merging these two cadres ie Optometrist and Ophthalmic Assistant into a single band. As elsewhere mentioned in this blog in Indian context there is a need for these two different categories is essential in the interest of our rural poor people. The Government of India is also very clear about this from the beginning. Hence there is no need for an amalgamation of these two cadres. Regarding the job description there need not be any significant change at the moment.
The Road ahead for us is to let everyone strive for the earliest formation of Vision Council of India in order to achieve the goals of Vision 2020: 'The Right to Sight' initiative.
Together we will achieve this mission very soon.
A draft proposal of the council was prepared and discussed in these meetings as well as outside among our colleagues for strengthening the draft proposal. After repeated discussions and deliberations both Optometrist and Ophthalmic Assistants Association have accepted to form 'Vision Council of India' (VCI). Members of Optometrists and Ophthalmic Assistants can be incorporated in to this council in a separate classification (sub clause).
In our country there are independent councils for nurses, doctors, dentists and pharmacists and are very well organized. But for the Vision Care Professionals (who are responsible for the primary eye care and are considered as the back bone of the Blindness Control Program) we do not have such independent council to steer our fellow members at the moment.
I, wonder why so much of delay in establishing a council. Indeed it is a BIG question which does not have an answer. In the army a cadre without a commander is almost useless and we need a proper regulatory council which can act as a supreme body in order to bring all of us in to one fold. In the absence of such scenario the only sufferer is our rural poor people and they will suffer a lot by irreparable visual loss if we do not act now together.
Time is running out for all of us. Let’s take a pledge to resolve this issue in 2010.
Some of our colleagues also felt the need for merging these two cadres ie Optometrist and Ophthalmic Assistant into a single band. As elsewhere mentioned in this blog in Indian context there is a need for these two different categories is essential in the interest of our rural poor people. The Government of India is also very clear about this from the beginning. Hence there is no need for an amalgamation of these two cadres. Regarding the job description there need not be any significant change at the moment.
The Road ahead for us is to let everyone strive for the earliest formation of Vision Council of India in order to achieve the goals of Vision 2020: 'The Right to Sight' initiative.
Together we will achieve this mission very soon.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Let make Vision Council of India a reality!
During the Silver Jubilee celebration of the ‘School of Optometry', Chennai in the year 1988 , the founder of the school (Late) Dr.T.T.Ramalingam emphasized the need for an higher education in Optometry and the need for an independent practice for the Optometric profession.
In the year 1989 during the 22nd All India Optometric Conference held in Chennai the then Honorable Health Minister had assured to legalize the Optometric profession as an independent one in the interest of Public Health.
Again in 1993 on the occasion of 25th Conference of Indian Optometric Association held in Chennai (Late) Dr.E.Vaithilingam an eminent Optometrist and the then President of IOA appealed the State and Central Government to regulate the Optometric practice by legalization.
Mr. Pardeep Bharti who was instrumental in the formation of National Ophthalmic Association and the first General Secretary of the Association insisted the Government of India many times for the formation of an Independent Council for Vision Care Professionals in the line of Nursing, Dental & the Pharmacy in order to deliver effective Eye Care System throughout the country and also to save the rural people becoming blind unnecessarily due to ignorance.
Besides various organizations across the country voiced their opinion during various occasions for the Council related issues. In subsequent meetings with Central Health Ministry by the Representative of the NOA, the Government of India assured to take initiative to form a council for the Vision Care Professionals.
Recently the “Vision 2020 -The Right to Sight” India also taken active efforts for the formation of an independent Council and later it was suggested by our fellow professionals as 'Vision Council of India' in order to bring all the Vision Care Professionals in to one umbrella .
But even after so many years neither our predecessors nor our fellow professionals have failed to take up the cause of forming an independent Council. Always we say that India is a pioneer in Blindness Control Programme and paving the way for many Developing Countries in implementing better Eye Health Care delivery system. This vision cannot be achieved without the involvement of Vision Care Professionals at the micro and macro level since they are one of the important stake holders in the whole process.
There should be an uniformity in thinking among our fellow professionals as the need of the hour is: we need to regroup our self into one fold i.e Vision Council of India which can play an important role in effective eye health care delivery system at all level.
Is there any second opinion to this thought among our fellow professionals?
In the year 1989 during the 22nd All India Optometric Conference held in Chennai the then Honorable Health Minister had assured to legalize the Optometric profession as an independent one in the interest of Public Health.
Again in 1993 on the occasion of 25th Conference of Indian Optometric Association held in Chennai (Late) Dr.E.Vaithilingam an eminent Optometrist and the then President of IOA appealed the State and Central Government to regulate the Optometric practice by legalization.
Mr. Pardeep Bharti who was instrumental in the formation of National Ophthalmic Association and the first General Secretary of the Association insisted the Government of India many times for the formation of an Independent Council for Vision Care Professionals in the line of Nursing, Dental & the Pharmacy in order to deliver effective Eye Care System throughout the country and also to save the rural people becoming blind unnecessarily due to ignorance.
Besides various organizations across the country voiced their opinion during various occasions for the Council related issues. In subsequent meetings with Central Health Ministry by the Representative of the NOA, the Government of India assured to take initiative to form a council for the Vision Care Professionals.
Recently the “Vision 2020 -The Right to Sight” India also taken active efforts for the formation of an independent Council and later it was suggested by our fellow professionals as 'Vision Council of India' in order to bring all the Vision Care Professionals in to one umbrella .
But even after so many years neither our predecessors nor our fellow professionals have failed to take up the cause of forming an independent Council. Always we say that India is a pioneer in Blindness Control Programme and paving the way for many Developing Countries in implementing better Eye Health Care delivery system. This vision cannot be achieved without the involvement of Vision Care Professionals at the micro and macro level since they are one of the important stake holders in the whole process.
There should be an uniformity in thinking among our fellow professionals as the need of the hour is: we need to regroup our self into one fold i.e Vision Council of India which can play an important role in effective eye health care delivery system at all level.
Is there any second opinion to this thought among our fellow professionals?
Monday, January 11, 2010
From our colleagues
From Punjab
At this moment we need to intervene immediately . also we must talk to the head of the vision 2020 .so that we can compel them to follow the right track . I have received some mail from the optometrists those are having contacts with senior members of various organisations ,those are actively involved in blindness control programs with the government .I am forwarding them to you so that you can have ideas about what is going on .Please be in touch with .
Thanks.
Harjeet Singh
From Maharashtra.
what is the steps towards the unification of profession ,with my past experience i found that there is gap between vision care professionals ( optometrist/ophthalmic officers/ ophthalmic asst). Ther is a need of better communication between these professionals. what is the plan of NOA towards this unification .
Kailash Baviskar
At this moment we need to intervene immediately . also we must talk to the head of the vision 2020 .so that we can compel them to follow the right track . I have received some mail from the optometrists those are having contacts with senior members of various organisations ,those are actively involved in blindness control programs with the government .I am forwarding them to you so that you can have ideas about what is going on .Please be in touch with .
Thanks.
Harjeet Singh
From Maharashtra.
what is the steps towards the unification of profession ,with my past experience i found that there is gap between vision care professionals ( optometrist/ophthalmic officers/ ophthalmic asst). Ther is a need of better communication between these professionals. what is the plan of NOA towards this unification .
Kailash Baviskar
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Coordinated efforts for Public Health echelon of Vision Care Professionals
Vision disorders and eye diseases are major public health problems, both nationally and internationally. Vision care professionals with training and experience in public health are needed to assess community needs for vision care services, to determine which factors contribute to treatment and prevention of visual system anomalies, to develop and apply quality assurance systems, to participate and provide leadership in health-related agencies, and to foster public awareness of the need for vision care. An individual qualified both in vision care and public health is expected to have the capability to develop, administer, and evaluate eye and vision health programs in research projects; design and conduct epidemiological field studies; use statistical methods in data analysis of case-control and cohort studies; develop and implement vision health education programs; and develop occupational health and eye safety programs.
Coordinated efforts Objectives
Describe the economic, legal organizational and political underpinnings of the Indian health system;
Acquire a public health field concentration for individuals seeking a world class eye care professionalism; and
Apply population-based sciences and methods of public health as they relate to vision and vision disorders
Bharat Mistry
Lecturer in Ophthalmic Clinical Optics
Coordinated efforts Objectives
Describe the economic, legal organizational and political underpinnings of the Indian health system;
Acquire a public health field concentration for individuals seeking a world class eye care professionalism; and
Apply population-based sciences and methods of public health as they relate to vision and vision disorders
Bharat Mistry
Lecturer in Ophthalmic Clinical Optics
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Unite Today for Golden Tomorrow
Legalisation of practice of vision care professionals under National Council is mandatory to serve and check services in ophthalmic care. It must have teeth for looking after qualitative international standards education, regulation of qualifications norms and service ethics of professionals.
Aim and objectives must be set to autonomy of vision care professionals to deliver highly professionalised services to the community. Otherwise seems to be inhuman for longtime. Do professionalise vision care professionals with empowered council with member from vision care professionals only.
Bharat Mistry
Lecturer in Ophthalmic Clinical Optics
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