A one day advanced training workshop on Refraction techniques &
clinical implications was inaugurated by Dr MI Junaid Rehman, District Medical
Officer (Retd) on 25 May 2014 at Ernakulam in Kerala. The workshop was
organized by IVI in collaboration with the Indian Optometry Federation (IOF),
Indian Optometric Association (IOA) Kerala Chapter – Optometrist Society,
Kerala; Kerala Government Optometrists Association (GOUK) and Rayhan College of
Optometry.
A significant proportion of the twenty million
people requiring glasses in Kerala do not have access to quality eyecare. With
Kerala having only about 515 optical outlets and less than 20 colleges offering
optometry education, there is a considerable gap in eye care infrastructure.
Through such workshop, IVI aims to bridge the gap in eyecare delivery by
upgrading the optometry infrastructure in Kerala by training and upgrading
optometry practitioners and institutions.
Over 320 optometry professionals from across
Kerala participated in the first-ever workshop of its kind conducted by IVI in
Kerala. Facilitated by senior IVI officers Ms Jissa James and Mr Revanth Kumar,
the workshop covered a range of aspects including basics of optics &
refraction, clinical history taking in comprehensive eye examination, techniques
of objective refraction, steps of subjective refraction, binocular balancing
and prescribing modalities to various age groups.