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