Ophthalmic Science Institute opened in Siliguri by Lions Club of Siliguri Greater

SNS, SILIGURI, 1 MARCH 2022: The Greater Lions Institute of Ophthalmic Sciences (GLIOS) was inaugurated today jointly by the Wen Giving Foundation and Mission for Vision at the Siliguri Greater Lions SIM Vidya Sagar Oswal Eye Hospital at Kartoa in Jalpaiguri district, around 15 km away from Siliguri.

GLIOS, the allied ophthalmic training centre is the biggest ophthalmic training institution in North Bengal with residential facility for 90 allied ophthalmic practitioners and 10 ophthalmologists, the inauguration event was told.

The facility was inaugurated in the presence of dignitaries from the Wen Giving Foundation, Australia, Mission for Vision, hospital luminaries, Lions Club of Siliguri Greater trustees and other guests,

According to the past hospital chairman, GS Hora, the hospital has been working to mitigate the need for skilled eye health practitioners in North Bengal since the early advent of its training department.

"Today, there are more than 300 allied ophthalmic practitioners trained under this department, working in the region at various capacities to intercept the needy in time and bring them under specialized eye care. We have arobust training department where students from across the country, and neighbouring nations of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh come for ophthalmic studies in large numbers," He said.

He added that the hospital systems have been providing holistic training in the field of Optometry Ophthalmic Assistance, Vision Technician, Diplomate in National Board (Ophthalmology), Cataract Phaco Surgery, Biomedical Engineering, Optical Dispensing, and Optician courses, including various fellowships and "observership." According to the Director of the Wen Giving Foundation in Australia, Damian Gordon, in order to meet the goals of achieving Universal Eye Health, we need to first address the scarcity of qualified eye health workers and poor distribution of those qualified health workers." He said that the north, east and north-east of India are more challenged in this regard.

"There is a growing recognition that delivering comprehensive eye health, in a way that strengthens the health system, will require sufficient people to fill each role within the eye health sector, and that they must have the training they need to do their job effectively," Mr Gordon said. "Through this project, with Mission for Vision and Siliguri Greater Lions Eye hospital, we endeavour together to promote the goals of Universal Eye Health that focuses on all cadres of eye health personnel," he added.

Founder of Mission for Vision, JM Chanrai, said this institution will now be able to cater to several students who would benefit from the state of-the- art facility. "In view of the reputation of the Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital and its strategic geographic proximity to other Indian states and neighbouring countries, the training facility has immense opportunity to build the human resource capacity of the region through training and mentoring other organisations in the area," he said.

Past chairman and founding member, PC Maskara, said they were grateful for the support of the Wen Giving Foundation and Mission for Vision for identifying their needs during the visit of Mei Wen, the founder of the Foundation and Elizabeth Kurian, CEO, MFV, in 2019 and "coming forward in addressing our just cause, helping us bring our collective efforts to take form into this world class training centre."

Secretary State Medical Faculty, West Bengal, DK Ghosh, said: "North Bengal needed such an institution since a very long time. "With this responsibility in the hands of our longtime partner, Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital, we are certain it would strengthen the eye care arena of the region and help bring in skilled practitioners who are also not only trained in their respective eye care discipline but also are responsible towards the people, and the cause of eliminating avoidable blindness from the region," he said.

Social worker and philanthropist Sulochana Jajodia Mansi, who lit the traditional inaugural lamp today, said: "I will tell my associates about the hospital after returning to Delhi. I am happy with the medical education programmes here, when hundreds of girls will be educated, trained and finally be able to earn their livelihood in medical services."

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