Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (PICO) is an Institute of international repute in the field of training and research in Ophthalmology, working under Health Department of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is a special centre for learning the principles and skills of Clinical as well as Community Eye Health. The Institute caters for training of eye doctors and other allied eye care health professionals from all provinces of Pakistan and other countries of the region. The faculty of PICO comprises of Institutional, many of national and international experts in clinical and Community Eye Health. PICO is part of HMC and is governed by the Management Council of Hayatabad Medical Complex.

Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Peshawar is a prime Medical Institute of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which comprises of five autonomous institutes. Beside a 700 beds state of the art tertiary care Hospital, it also includes Postgraduate Medical Institute, Khyber Girls Medical College, Institute of Kidney Disease and Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (PICO). HMC is an autonomous Medical Institute working under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Health Institution and regulations of health care services Ordinance of 2002. It is headed by a Chief Executive and run by Management Council.

The courses are run with the collaboration of International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) London and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) London and other similar prestigious International Institutes.

PICO is affiliated with Khyber Medical University for its graduate & postgraduate courses. It is recognized by Pakistan Medical & Dental Council. The diploma courses are affiliated with Medical Faculty of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The nursing courses are recognized by Pakistan Nursing Council.  PICO is collaborating with International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) USA to hold their assessments for allied eye care professional from Pakistan and the region.

The Eye Care services infrastructure of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa offers many opportunities for students to observe and participate in actual community based learning. These important concepts are therefore clearly reflected in the training as well as in the clinical and community work of the trainees of Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (PICO).

This prospectus provides information relating to the postgraduate, undergraduate and diploma courses for doctors and allied eye health care professionals admission criteria, fee structure, course curriculum and scholarship schedules.

It is intensely anticipated that the graduates of this institute will make a significant contribution to the Eye-health of the people at community and country level, in the region.

PICO

The Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (PICO) started as Center for Community Eye Health at the Department of Opthalmology Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar in 1989 with one medical officer, on deputation from Federal minitry of health, who had done MSc in Community Eye Health from International Center for Eye Health London. The objective was to rationalize the control strategies of blindness at the community level.

In 1987-1990 WHO / Ministry of Health sponsored national survey to determine the prevalence of blindness which came out to be at the alarming level of 1.78 %. Following that survey the Center for Community Eye Health was converted to Department of Community Ophthalmology in 1990 under an MOU between the Department of Health, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Royal Common Wealth Society for the Blind (Now known as Sightsavers) and Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Karachi and approved by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkwa.

It was given status of an Institute in 1997 with an added mandate to start Postgraduate Course in Community Eye Health. At that time it was the 3rd Institute of its kind in the world and the first in any developing country for postgraduate training of doctors in Community Eye Health (Other being International Centre for Eye Health London and Dana Centre John Hopkins USA).

The objective of the Institute was to reduce blindness and visual impairment in Pakistan and at developing countries through Human Resource Development (HRD) for eye care, operation and epidemiological reserach, improving eye care both qualitatively and quantitatively and advocacy to get resources for eye care.

Since the establishment of PICO, in 1997, the Institute has achieved all of its objectives. All the funds made available during the period has been utilized for the purpose, audited by an external chartered accountant and accepted by the donors. Regular internal and external evaluations of the projects have been done by the international donors.

All the international NGOs who started work in Pakistan with PICO have established offices in Pakistan recruiting many people. These NGOs (Sightsavers, CBM Germanys and Fred Hollows Foundation of Australia) are extending their financial and technical support to Pakistan and is a source of employment for many people from this province.

PICO has been working with a vision to improve the status of eye care in Pakistan and other developing countries. PICO has conceived new cadres in eye helath, developed curricula for these cadres and succeeded in creating these cadres in Pakistan. It has thought of and mobilized resources for strengthening comprehensive eye care at districts /agencies. Other provinces in Pakistan and eye care in other countries are following the model with some regional modifications. Senior ophthalmologists in other provinces started community eye helath on the pattern of PICO and has created many more posts in the new cadres in Punjab Province. PICO has provided the master trainers for provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, AJK & Northern areas of Pakistan.

The institute has proved that strengthening eye care services at district / agency level have reduced the unnecessary burden of eye patients in teaching hospitals. The uptake of eye care services by women has increased and so is their quality of life and positive contribution to family and social life. The introduction of new cadres of ophthalmic technician, refraction, optometrist and orthoptist have improved the Eye Care Services and have a positive impact in line of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and especially refractive servics for children is improving enrolment and performance in school. PICO is ther first organization in the country to identify the problem of Vitamin A control program in ther country. It will be having a positive impact on childhood morbidity and mortality. All these efforts will help the Government's efforts to achieve MDGs for Pakistan.

By training eye doctors from other countries, it has created and improved the good will for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular and Pakistan in general. Many doctors are referred by the alumni of PICO for trainings.

PICO so far has produced MSc / MPH (Community Eye Health) = 112, OTTC = 353, Refractionist 
= 137, Optomitrist = 29, Orthoptist = 23, Ophthalmic Technologist = 18, Optician = 43,
Refresher Course = 380 students & Ophthalmic Nursing = 43. 

PICO has set a positive trend for other specialities and efforts are underway in the province to plan and establish institutes like Cardiology, Child Health, Women's health and Liver diseases.

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