Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO), which is considered to be one of the best places for medical students aspiring to become eye specialists, has witnessed an increase in the flow of foreign students applying to study the subject at the institute.
Krishna Gopal Shrestha, training officer at the TIO, informed that 414 students from 35 countries have already completed the ophthalmology course from the institute so far. [break]
“The fee for one to six months course is 515 US dollar, while student attending a 3-year course of eye specialist have to pay 28500 US dollar in tuition fee,” Shrestha told Republica, adding that Nepali students pay only half the tuition fee charged to the foreign students.
TIO, Nepal Eye Hospital in Tripureshwor and Bhairahawa Eye Hospital, all affiliated to National Association of Medical Sciences (NAMS), have been teaching ophthalmology course in the country.
According to Dr Govinda Poudel, the chief of Education and Training Department at TIO, The Nepal Eye Hospital based in Tripureshwar had started teaching ophthalmology course for the first time in Nepal in 1978. However, foreign students were drawn to the country only after the TIO started teaching ophthalmology. TIO is known for developing reliable and low-cost methods in combating blindness in people.
The ophthalmology course on complete eye care, uveitis, and specialization on cornea, glaucoma, retina, among others, are available in Nepal. Similarly, Nepali medical institutes also offer short courses for eye health workers, community medical assistance, health workers and pharmacies.
TIO started providing course on eye treatment since 2004. “TIO has produced 18 eye experts so far. We have resources and can provide world class education in Ophthalmology if the government paves the way for it introducing a solid eye policy for the purpose,” Poudel added.
Only those students having MBBS degree and two years work experience in the related field are eligible to take the eye specialist course. The eye specialist course is of 3-year duration. Most of the students come to TIO for studying cataract. “The students aspiring to be eye specialists come to TIO as it has modern technology in eye treatment and it provides quality education,” said Poudel. “We are going to introduce a new 1.5 year long fellowship program from this academic year,” he further added.
Beside the NAMS affiliated institutes, Tribhuvan University (TU), Kathmandu University, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) have also provided affiliations to 11 other colleges for eye study. Colleges affiliated to TU and BPKIHS permit students to take up eye specialist course immediately after their MBBS degree. However, NAMS and KU colleges require the applicants to have at least two and one years experience respectively after completing their MBBS. TU and BPKIHS have been providing bachelor and master level studies in eye care.
According to Dr DN Sah, chief executive officer at BP Koirala Lions Eye Study Center, there are six seats available in 3-year master´s program and 8 seats in 4-year bachelor´s program. Sah also informed that the center has already produced 98 eye specialists so far, while 20 students are enrolled in the program at present.
“Students from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Cambodia, among other countries, have completed eye specialist course from our institute,” Sah told this daily. “At present we have five foreign students studying the subject. The quality of eye treatment in Nepal is has made its mark internationally, making the country a good destination for the prospective eye specialists.
“There are 21 eye hospitals in the country but NGOs have occupied the largest share in the eye care programs,” said Sah.
Bhagawat Nepal, medical associate dean at KU, said that the eye programs have been concentrated in urban area as the rural population is devoid of the eye care programs due to the government´s inactiveness in the eye treatment. Nepal government and World Health Organization had started Vision 20-20 Campaign with the aim of eradicating blindness from the country by 2020. As per the mid-term evaluation of the campaign in 2010, there are 147 specialist doctors for eye treatment in Nepal, which translates to one doctor per 1,93,877 eye patients annually. The WHO recommended that eye specialists in developing countries can examine only 100,000 patients in a year. As per WHO, one doctors should look after only 50,000 patients annually by the 2020.
There are 56 optometrists, the person trained and licensed to examine visual defects and impairments, have been working in Nepal. One optometrist has been overseeing 7,91,666 patients presently but as per WTO recommendation the numbers of annual patients per optometrist should be brought down to 50,000 by 2020.
Related story
Nepal to host 14th Biennial SAARC Academy of Opthalmology Confe...
