The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Stress on clear standards for delivery of eye care

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 28, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Stress on clear standards for delivery of eye care

Special Correspondent

Ophthalmic Forum of the ISA launched at Sankara Nethralaya

— Photo: S. Thanthoni

Gearing for challenges: (From left): Chris Dodds, Academic Department of Anaesthesia, The James Cook University Hospital, U.K., unveiling the logo of the Ophthalmic Forum of the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists (OFISA) in Chennai on Sunday. Also in picture are OFISA president V. Jagadeesh and Sankara Nethralaya Chairman Emeritus S.S. Badrinath.

CHENNAI: India will have to formulate clear standards for delivery of ophthalmic care for the elderly as the burden of common eye disorders in older people could increase three-fold in the next few decades, Chris Dodds, Academic Department of Anaesthesia, The James Cook University Hospital, U.K. said on Sunday.

Launching the Ophthalmic Forum of the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists (OFISA) at the Sankara Nethralaya, Dr.Dodds said the challenge in a country like India could see a shift from paediatric to geriatric care.

By 2020, an estimated 120 million of the population would be over 70 years and about 300 million in the 60-65 age group. This demographic dynamic could leave persons in the 35-45 age segment burdened with the care-taking duties of great grandparents, grandparents and parents besides their children, he said.

Dr.Dodds predicted a 300 per cent increase in treatment requirements for disorders such as cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and vascular disease. The ophthalmic strategy for the future will involve prevention (of disease progression) and reversal of damage, he said.

“There is an imperative need to prepare for challenges and risks of the next 30 years,” he said. The establishment of OFISA was a milestone in framing nation-wide standards and establishing training centres, Dr.Dodd said.

He unveiled the logo of OFISA in presence of S.S. Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya.

Dr.Dodd later presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ian Sundara Raj, consultant ophthalmic anaesthesiologist at Sankara Nethralaya.

Chandra Kumar, consultant, James Cook Hospital, gave a video presentation on different needle blocks for eye surgery. Recently, there had been a shift from needle block to the cannula block which is perceived to be a relatively safer technique, he said.

G.V. Rao, Country Director of the international NGO ORBIS, said the initiative, which partnered with hospitals such as the Sankara Nethralaya, proposed to start by 2020 at least 50 paediatric eye centres across India. At present, it had opened 27 centres which had undertaken screening of 3.5 million and treated 6.5 lakh children with eye disorders.

V. Jagadeesh, OFISA president and Nethralaya consultant, said the Forum would promote quality anaesthesia for patients undergoing eye procedures and focus on collaborative research. The inaugural OFISA conference would be held in 2012, he said.

K. Balakrishnan, past president of the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists and Babu Rajendran, president, All India Ophthalmological Society spoke.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu