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UG Optometry programme officially launched

Feb 04, 2010 News

In anticipation of its introduction this September, the Bachelors of Science Degree in Optometry was officially launched by Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Lawrence Carrington.
The launching occurred on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Council for the Blind workshop at the Princess International Hotel Tuesday evening. The workshop was intended to facilitate the start of a five-year eye health project which is being dubbed ‘Delivering Vision 2020.’
Accordingly, the workshop was seen as a most fitting forum to introduce the new degree programme which is in fact the first of its kind to be offered at the local university or even the Caribbean for that matter.
In launching the programme Professor Carrington related that the number of offerings in the study of Medical Arts and Sciences in Guyana have shown a steady expansion through the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. He said that with the addition of Optometry to the scope of the curriculum is a worthwhile complement to the current offerings.
“It enhances the range of human health concerns for which the education system can take responsibility and heighten the level of self-reliance of Guyana.”
According to Professor Carrington the September and January version of the programme both kept him up a night each in order to thoroughly peruse their outline. He said that the Academic Board received the programme enthusiastically and “we are pleased to be able to endorse it in its entirety.”
Our satisfaction with the programme in Optometry is not derived exclusively from the fact that human sight is a primary attribute of human reality but because we are convinced that collaboration is an ethic that our university must seek to cultivate, exemplify and to propagate as part of its fulfilment of its mission.”
It was for similar reasons, he disclosed, that only a few days ago the university inked an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and McGill University for the offer of a post graduate course in Water Resource Management.
Before long, Professor Carrington anticipates that the university will be able to work out with the GPHC several ways of harmonising the processes of programme delivery.
This, he said, is necessary in order to ensure that the quality of all programmes that are engaged jointly fulfil the requirements for accreditation by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education, Medicine and other Health Professionals.
“We will also wish that their quality will take us on a pathway to recognised excellence that can attract stronger faculty and more internationally exposed consultants and researchers,” Professor Carrington articulated.
Support for the programme will be forthcoming from agencies the likes of Guyana Eye Care and the Caribbean Society for the Blind. According to Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr Cummings, “lots of funding will be coming from these organisations to help with infrastructure in terms of new classroom spaces, a laboratory for optometry and even new offices.”
With the advent of the National Ophthalmology Centre at Port Mourant, Dr Cummings said that “we decided to train persons in optometry.” These optometrists, once graduated will be able to serve in the field of optometry in the length and breadth of Guyana.
They will be able to address quite a lot of cases, primarily those that would have been previously detected by ophthalmology,” the Dean disclosed.

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