New Delhi: With an aim to identify up to 10 promising young ophthalmologists from across the country, Sightsavers India launched the ‘India Fellowship Program.’ The organisation will groom young minds through an innovative course of mentoring and surgical exposure to expand their perspectives on rural eye health.
With the rising eye-related problems in India, a greater number of skilled professionals are required in the country. Preventable blindness is a challenge that can only be surmounted by having adequate eye health services in the remote locations of the country led by skilled ophthalmologists.
Thus, Sightsavers, an organisation working in India since 1966 to eliminate avoidable blindness, came up with India Fellowship Program, an opportunity for promising and passionate young ophthalmologists to get trained at some of the leading eye health institutes in India.
The selected fellows will be placed in one of the eight states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
“Sightsavers India Fellowship Program is a unique initiative for the young ophthalmologists to embark on an exciting journey of 24 months and learn along with established ophthalmologists, researchers, and educators. During the program, the selected ophthalmologists will be given 24 months of a structured process of learning, hands-on surgical, clinical training at leading eye health institutions, new regional postings along with international exposure and residential facility”, said Bedi.
Sightsavers’ Global Chief Executive, Caroline Harper and S Y Quraishi, former chief election commissioner and the honorary Chairman of Sightsavers India were also present at the launch.
