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Times Ascent :Optometry being a health care profession has been among the few sectors that did not get affected much by the recent slowdown.

Nilesh D Thite, Professional Services Manager with Bausch & Lomb Eye care (I) Pvt. Ltd discusses careers in the Optometry industry in India

1. Did the recent recession have an impact on the optometry sector in terms of hiring?
Optometry being a health care profession has been among the few sectors that did not get affected much by the recent slowdown. Eye care is an important health need of the people. Hence, the impact of recession has been limited to high end spectacle frames and fashion accessories.  Most of the top optometry colleges have a 100 per cent placement record as of today. 
 
2. What kind of career opportunities exist in this sector? What are the various job profiles?
Most of the fresh graduates initially work as employees of optometrists in private practice or with large optical chains or in public clinics. Occasionally, they may work with ophthalmologists. Most optometrists are self-employed or work for other optometrists in private practice. Sometimes, their work may involve visiting the homes of bed-ridden or house-bound patients, acting as a consultant to firms or factories at their premises or working at health care institutions such as hospitals, community health centers or special clinics.
Thus, a qualified optometrist can independently choose from options such as private practice (spectacle and contact lens clinics), working with eye hospitals, spectacle or contact lens manufacturing units, spectacle, instruments or contact lens industry, working overseas, working at teaching institutes or as research scientists.

3. What is the level of pay one can expect as an optometrist?
 
The remuneration of a fresh graduate in optometry depends on his/her own abilities, interest and also the choice of field. By and large, the profession offers satisfactory pay, which is at par with other professional courses.

4. What is the educational qualification and skills required for practicing Optometry or working as an Optometrist in India?
Optometry courses are based on Sciences, including Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Therefore, a thorough background in these subjects is essential for students entering the course. All the leading institutes in Optometry offer a Bachelor degree course in Optometry. As for skills, perhaps the most important personal quality an optometrist should have is a liking for people of all ages and a genuine desire to help the patients. Optometrists also need a willingness to continue learning, not only clinical knowledge which helps in caring for the patients, but also practice management where business acumen can be an asset.

5. What do you foresee for the future of Optometry in India? Which particular segments of this industry are likely to grow most?
Optometry today, although an unlicensed profession, in future will be a licensed and regulated profession in India.  With a population of over one billion, there is no dearth of growth here. Every single human being above the age of 40 will require ocular care in one way or the other, and considering that we are today the youngest nation in the world, we will also have the largest number of people above the age of 40 years in the world in the near future. Hence the industry looks quite promising.

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My views....

In my opinion the cadre of Ophthalmic Assistant was created to control the increasing blindness in our country. This cadre was created with the aim , a professional who can be independent associate of Ophthalmologist ; so that ophthalmologist may concentrate on the cataract surgery, which was found the major cause of curable blindness in our country and rest of the work assigned to the cadre of Ophthalmic Assistant which is reflecting in the original duty chart of the cadre. This cadre was started in place of already existing cadre of Optometrist adding some more clinical duties. The motive behind creation of the cadre was to produce a vision care professional who along with the work and duty of Optometrist may handle the other clinical aspect also. That is why the cadre was posted at Block Level as independent eye care professional instead of associated with Ophthalmologist.

So far, the cadre was not accredited by any University or by any regulating professional body. This provide an opportunity to those who were not in favour of this cadre but their personal interest. They intervene in the degradation of the cadre at all level. Due to the absence of accreditation body there is no uniformity in nomenclature, duty chart, pay structure etc. The nomenclature also become an obstacle in the up lift man of the cadre.

In present scenario there is no unity among the different nomenclature of eye care professional. Those who are not in favour of these type of eye care professional succeeding “ Divide and Rule”. Actually the Nomenclature of Optometrist have world wide recognition. In world scenario Optometry is well established independent science faculty. Due to the established world scenario it is easy to uplift the cadre. In so many regulating bodies out side India have assigned the same duties which was assigned to the cadre of Ophthalmic Assistant in India. More over the broader unity among the eye care professional other than Ophthalmologist is the only way for achieving our goal. It is my personal view that there should be consensus among all vision care professional by what ever name they are known but they have minimum 10+2 Science with minimum two years course in the Ophthalmic Science field.

R.S.Berwal
General Secretary
National Ophthalmic Association

Executive Meeting of NOA

Invitation from National Ophthalmic Association


To,
All Office Bearers of National Ophthalmic Association.
Presidents / General Secretaries of State Organizations.

Subject:Regarding Extended Executive Meeting of National Ophthalmic Association at
Bhopal (M.P.)
Sir,

An Extended Executive Meeting of NOA will be held on 6th & 7th March 2010 at Bhopal in Office of M.P.Rajya Karmchari Sangh 48/1 South T.T.Nagar Bhopal [8 Shop, Pletinum Plazma New Market] Bhopal(MP.)

As you aware that our Biannual Conference was proposed to be organized in Bangloru,Karnataka, but due to unavoidable circumstances it was not possible to organize . Govt. of India is in the process to establish an overarching Regulatory Body as “National Council for Human Resources in Health” (NCHRH) to cover the all health professional under one umbrella. Moreover NPCB authorities & Vision 2020 also under process to establish an Academic Council for various Eye Care Professional other than Ophthalmologist. In this circumstances it is decided to organize an extended executive meeting of NOA at Bhopal(MP)

The Main Agenda of this executive meeting will be as under:

1 Review of the Resolution passed in last Conference of NOA.
2 Discussion on the Minutes of Meeting by ADGO, NPCB and by JS Ministry of Health & F W
3 Regarding Proposed Regulating Body in relation to our Profession.
4 Evaluation of Life Membership and Organizational issues of NOA.
5 Income – Expenditure Auditing, Pending Dues of State and other financial issues.
6 Renewal of Executive Body of NOA.
7 RTI issues and Filing of Court Case in relation to original duty chart legalization.
8 Any other important issue with permission of President.

So you are requested to make it convenient to participate in this crucial meeting of NOA in the interest of our beloved profession. Your early confirmation will facilitate to accommodate you in better way. For any assistance, contact: A.S.Sengar Mobile – 98272016092 & Mr.Rajesh Sharma Mobile -9425456264

Rajbir Singh Berwal
General secretary
National Ophthalmic Association.