More local training for eye care graduates

ith the high prevalence of Diabetes in Fiji and other Pacific Island Countries (PIC), more training programmes are needed.

This is to allow eye care graduates to be more competent in managing people on eye health.

Doctors and nurses from PICs are trained together in Fiji, similar to their countries where they manage patients with similar diseases not foreign to them.

At the Fiji National University (FNU), the eye care programme involves mostly supervised clinical work in addition to theoretical teaching.

This hands-on experience exposes trainees to cases commonly encountered.

In addition, they are also involved in outreaches which further widens their exposure to eye care problems that are common in our settings.

The faculty is a culmination of local and international experienced ophthalmologists therefore trainees are guided both by local and international experience.

Local training

Having our locals properly trained could boost Fiji’s confidence in having its local eye care specialists without having to rely on international specialists.

In the past, most of our Pacific Island countries including Fiji were heavily reliant on overseas visiting teams to provide the much-needed eye care services for us.

With an eye care qualification, various high paying career options are available as this is a key sector in Fiji’s health sector.

Ophthalmologists help patients administer eye drops, and identify patients that need to be treated in hospital.

They are also very good managers of eye care programmes and link very well with other parts of the hospital, such as maternal and child health service.