Released on: January 18, 2008, 8:47 am

Press Release Author: Dr BR Natarajan

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: For millions of people around the world, receiving quality
eye care is an enormous struggle. Lack of good educational programs in Optometry and
poor practitioner-to-patient ratio adds to the woes of developing countries.

Press Release Body: Every 5 Seconds one person in our world goes blind and a child
goes blind every minute. Every year, an additional 1-2 million persons go blind.
Refractive errors account for 24% of blindness worldwide. 75% of the global
blindness is treatable and / or preventable. 90% of the blind live in the poorest
section of the developing world. Without proper interventions, the number of global
blindness will increase to 75 million by 2020. Restoration of sight is one of the
most cost effective interventions in health care. Blindness prevention needs
Optometry and solution to blindness due to refractive error is by Quality Primary
Eye Care.

The two decade old Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital (THONEH) in Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia is a non-profit, non-governmental comprehensive eye care institution
engaged in clinical and surgical services and it also provides eye care delivery in
rural areas through its community service projects. Rehabilitation services for
visually challenged, basic research into causation management, treatment and cure of
eye diseases and the development of eye care products are some of the other
activities of THONEH. The National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) is the academic
arm of THONEH involved in the training of all cadres of eye care professionals.

One of the top ranking universities in India today, the Birla Institute of
Technology and Science \"BITS\", Pilani (Rajasthan) which has pioneered many a Work
Integrated Learning Program to address the Human Resource Development needs of
various professions has been offering for the past over a decade BS degree Programs
in Optometry in collaboration with the Elite School of Optometry (ESO), Chennai, a
constituent institution of the Medical Research Foundation (MRF), Chennai
established by Sankara Nethralaya, the Chennai based premier eye care and research
centre. For the past 7 years BITS, Pilani has also been offering the BS Optometry
program in collaboration with Bausch & Lomb School of Optometry established by the L
V Prasad Eye Institute \"LVPEI\", Hyderabad.

The objective of the Optometry program at BITS, Pilani is to prepare Optometrists
who are the primary health care practitioners of the eye and visual system to
provide comprehensive eye and vision care which includes refraction and dispensing,
detection / diagnosis of management of disease in the eye and the rehabilitation of
conditions of the visual system. The eight semester B.S. Optometry program of BITS,
Pilani has six semesters of coursework including Clinics spread over the first three
years followed by two semesters of mandatory Internship spread over the final and
fourth year.

Discussions have been in progress between THONEH-NIO and BITS Pilani for the past
four years and a detailed Memorandum of agreement was signed on February 23, 2006
which is in furtherance to the MoU signed on January 19, 2004. The letter of
approval from LAN - Lembaga Akreditasi Negara (Malaysian Accreditation Board) was
obtained in May 2007 and subsequently the Letter of Approval from the Ministry of
Higher Education, Malaysia in June 2007.

On January 15th 2008, in a colorful function, the BS Optometry programme was
launched by Mr Sanjay Panda, Economic & Educational Counselor of Indian High
Commission, Malaysia. The inauguration function took off with a video presentation
on the Optometry programme which was followed by a dance performance by THONEH
Staff. Dato' S Kulasegaran Chairman NIO welcomed the gathering. After the Videos of
the address by Prof L K Maheshwari Vice Chancellor BITS Pilani, by Prof G Raghurama
Deputy Director (Academic) BITS , Pilani and Prof BR Natarajan Dean from BITS
Pilani, the Guest of Honor Senator Prof Datuk Dr Ismail Md Salleh Chairman Thoneh
gave his speech.

This marks yet another milestone in the educational innovations of BITS Pilani
Rajasthan.

Web Site: http://www.bits-pilani.ac.in

Contact Details: Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS)
Pilani (Rajasthan) 333031 India
Website: www.bits-pilani.ac.in
Dr BR Natarajan
Professor & Dean
Work Integrated Learning Programmes
Email: brnt@bits-pilani.ac.in