Pakistan Centre for Vision Sciences (PCVS)

 
 

 Introduction

Blindness places an immense socioeconomic burden on the individual as well as the community. The direct economic cost of global blindness has been estimated as 25 billion US dollars per year. This figure does not include the economic resources required for the education, vocational training and social rehabilitation of a  blind person. The annual cost of caring for the 2,136,00 bilaterally blind people in Pakistan has been estimated to be 38.5 billion Pakistani rupees.The magnitude of blindness and its implications have compelled the world to analyze the situation objectively. Following table depicts the comparative picture of blindness at global, regional and national levels.
 

 

 

Prevalence of blindness

 

 

No of the visually impaired /Blind

 

Major causes of blindness

Global situation. 1

0.7%

45 million blind
135 million with 
Low Vision

Cataract; 16 million, 35.5%
Trachoma; 5.4 million, 12%
Glaucoma; 5.2 million, 11.5%

 

Regional situation

Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) 2

For details ,see annexure 1

1.4%
(average of 11country with available data)   

5.8 million  (blind)

Cataract; 3.1million, 50% Trachoma &
corneal opacity; 0.8 million, 14%
Glaucoma; 0.9million, 16%

National situation 3

1.78%

Bilaterally blind;
2.3 million Unilaterally blind;
3.2 million
6.3 million with low vision.

Cataract; 66.7%(of the total    causes of blindness)
Corneal opacities; 12.60%
Refractive errors; 11.40%
Glaucoma; 3.90%
Other causes; 5.40%

Local situation in NWFP 4

1%

0.2% million 

 

 

Cataract; 70%
Corneal opacities; 16.60%
Refractive errors; 7.5%
Others; 6%

 

 

[Back to Top]
 

Two thirds or more of all blindness is avoidable in that the contributing causes are preventable. World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with International Agency For The Prevention Of Blindness (IAPB) has taken the global initiative of eliminating avoidable blindness by the year 2020,under the Vision 2020 programme. In this programme the concept of Mid Level Eye Care Personnel (MLECP) has emerged as one of the most cost effective measures in both the establishment and strengthening of Comprehensive Eye Care (CEC). It is in this context that Pakistan Centre for Vision Sciences was established as part of Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology   under Khyber Institute of Ophthalmic Medical sciences with the following objectives, to meet the national, provincial and district, Human Recourse Development  needs of Mid Level Eye Care Personnel:

bullet

To provide training opportunities for all cadres of Mid Level Eye Care Personnel (MLECP); who would then;

  1. increase the coverage of essential eye care and ensure quality and equity while delivering these services;

  2. initiate primary eye care and integrate primary eye care into primary health care;

  3. meet the needs of refractive services of  the community;

bullet

To train some of these MLECP in specific areas of advance visual function skills, like optometry, ophthalmic technology skills, and public eye health care management skills as ophthalmic technologists to meet the needs of tertiary eye care Institutions;   

bullet

To cater for such requirements of the countries of Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO as well as other developing countries;

bullet

To develop standardized training programmes in modular form with standardized curricula and national /international faculty;

bullet

To introduce a standardized system of evaluation.

In the light of experiences gained at Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology, Peshawar, the Government of Pakistan will be approached through National Committee for Prevention of Blindness to:

bullet

Replicate such Institutions in other provinces if needed, 

bullet

Devise a career structure for such mid level eye care personnel,

bullet

Introduce and implement a national system of monitoring and evaluation of all  such training programmes in the country through a national regulatory body under the Ministry of Health (MOH) Islamabad.

All the 6 provincial coordinators of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, Baluchistan, AJK and Northern Areas have approved the curriculum. The national Leprosy, Blindness and Tuberculosis Control Board under the Ministry of Health, Pakistan have also endorsed this curriculum in a meeting held on the 26th of October 2001 at Islamabad. This curriculum was discussed and approved by at an international forum in a workshop on such curricula in Kurat Thailand in June 2000.  

 

 References:

bullet

Thylefous B et al. data on global blindness. WHO OMS Vol- 73, 1995, P.115-121.

bullet

Regional situation Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) WHO.

bullet

National population –based survey 1989.

bullet

M. Aman Khan MD, Arifa Gulab MD. And M. Daud Khan , FPAMA, Pakistan Journal of ophthalmology, Vol 10. No 2& 3, April and July 1994.

 

[Back to Top]

 

 Aims and Objectives of the training programmes at PCVS:

These courses will enable the health care personnel currently involved in delivering the existing eye care services, in the both the government & private sector, to equip themselves with the standardized knowledge required for this sensitive task.The Programmes have been designed in accordance with the strategies of the vision 2020. The programmes are aimed at providing trained human resource in the field of eye care and henceforth strengthening of the district –based comprehensive eye care Programme.

Through these training programmes are able to provide the following eye care personnel.

bullet

Ophthalmic technicians

bullet

Refractionist

bullet

Orthoptists

bullet

Optometrists

bullet

Ophthalmic technologists

bullet

Ophthalmic specialist nurses
 

[Back to Top]

 

ACADEMIC COMMITTEE:

bullet

The Rector KIOMS, (Chairman).

bullet

Professor of Ophthalmology LRH (KIOMS wing).

bullet

Executive Director Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology.

bullet

Director Academics, Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology.

bullet

Director Pakistan Centre for Vision Sciences, PICO.

bullet

Deputy Registrar Academics – of the affiliating University.

bullet

A representative of SSI, CBM, & FHF.

bullet

01 senior Optometrist, PICO.

bullet

01 Visiting Optometrist.

bullet

Dean Postgraduate Medical Institute, Hayatabad Medical Complex/ a representative of the Dean.
 

[Back to Top]
 

Course CONTENTS for the first year:
The course would be split into theory & practical modules conducted.

Module

Module Title

I-A

BASIC COMMUNITY EYE CARE  FUNCTIONS

II-A

PRIMARY EYE  CARE & COMMUNICATION SKILLS

III-A

BASIC EYE HEALTH MANAGEMENT  FUNCTIONS

IV-A

BASIC  TRAINING  FUNCTIONS

V-A

BASIC  TECHNICAL  FUNCTIONS

VI-A  

ORIENTATION WITH ADVANCED CLINICAL SKILLS

VII-A

Rehabilitation               

VIII- A

Screening Programmes and Community Mobilization

XI

Islamiyat

 

[Back to Top]

 

COURSE CONTENT FOR second year:
The second year will focus mainly on refraction (diagnosis and management of refractive errors), low vision and orthoptics. During the second year of training, the following course curriculum would be taught during the theory module;

B-I 

Revision of Primary eye care &advance diseases of the eye 

B-II

Introduction to ophthalmic pharmacology

B-III 

Physical optics

B-III

Geometrical optics

 

Visual optics (Basic)

 

Advance visual functions

 

Visual optics (Advance)

B-IV

Advance refraction

B-V 

Basic dispensing optics

B-VI

Low vision

B-VII

Contact lenses

B-VIII

Binocular vision & orthoptics

B- IX  

Screening for diabetic retinopathy & glaucoma

B-X

Rehabilitation

B-XI

Pakistan studies

B- IX   Screening for diabetic retinopathy & glaucoma
B-X Rehabilitation
B-XI Pakistan studies

Following timetable would be followed during the theory module:
6 days a week (Mondays to Saturdays) 8 AM to 1:30 PM  
 

[Back to Top]
 

Fo Practical work the following schedule would be followed:

bullet

Refraction [4 months]

bullet

Dispensing optics [2 months]

bullet

Orthoptics [2 weeks]

bullet

Contact lenses [ 2 weeks]

bullet

Low vision [2 weeks]

bullet

Community optometry [2 weeks]

[Back to Top]

Curriculum for THIRD year (BSc. Honours):

Module

Module Title

A

Advanced Visual Function Skills

 

A.1

Advance techniques in Refraction

 

A.2

Orthoptics

 

A.3

Contact lenses

 

A.4 

Low Vision

 

A-5

Caring for the Blind Instructional objectives

 

A-6   

Rehabilitation of the visually impaired & blind

B

COURSE ON OPHTHALMIC TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

 

B-1

Pharmacology

 

B-2

Diagnostic procedures

 

B-3