INNOVATIVE IDEA AWARD
World Optometry Day
23rd March 2023
On World Optometry Day 2023, the Vision Science Academy held an Innovative Idea competition where participants were required to identify challenges and present their innovative ideas for overcoming them in their respective countries. The response to the competition was overwhelming, with a huge number of entries received within a 24-hour window. After careful consideration and judging, we have selected the top three winners.
The first-place winner is Mr. Saurabh Suman from Galgotias University, followed by Mr. Deepak Kumar, also from Galgotias University, in second place. Ms. Sunidhi Kumari from Dr. BC Roy Engineering College secured the third position.
We would like to thank all the participants who took part in this competition and shared their innovative ideas with us. To read about the winning ideas and other noteworthy entries, please see below.
Winner
Name: Mr Saurabh Suman
Affiliation: Galgotias University
What are the specific challenges or barriers that you identified to accessing optometry eye care, or education in your country?
In the field of optometry eye care and education, several challenges exist, including quality, reliability, and efficiency. Within optometry eye care, facilities often struggle with issues such as an inadequate practitioner-to-patient ratio, a shortage of Eye Care staff, weak infrastructure, and poor government funding. In the education sector, a major concern is ensuring that faculty staff receive comprehensive training in both theory and practical skills. Additionally, issues such as the role of administration in managing doctors, faculties, Eye Care staff, and students, as well as faculty salaries and the faculty-to-student ratio, pose challenges for universities and colleges. To address these challenges, various funding agencies, both profitable and nonprofitable, should provide research and community health program schemes for conditions such as low vision, cataracts, and glaucoma.
How can we make optometry eyecare and education more accessible, equitable, affordable, and effective? Describe your viewpoint and how we can implement those ideas in your country? What should be the plan of action?
Currently, there are approximately 62 million people in India who are visually impaired, with 8 million of them being completely blind. As a result, the role of optometry eye care and education is crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of eye health issues. To achieve this, we propose several measures, including: (A) improving communication within communities to raise awareness, (B) implementing educational programs on disease signs and symptoms, (C) distributing information about eye health and risk factors through various mediums like sheets, booklets, brochures, and posters, (D) conducting oral presentations at community-based centres, national and international conferences, (E) organising regular community-based eye camps, and (F) utilising advertisements in newspapers, television, and editorials.
Runner-up
Name: Deepak Kumar
Affiliation: Galgotias University
What are the specific challenges or barriers that you identified to accessing optometry eye care, or education in your country?
There are several challenges and obstacles to accessing optometry eyecare and education in my country. These include a lack of awareness regarding the importance of eye health and available services, especially in remote or underserved regions. The high cost of eyecare services and education can also impede access for many individuals, along with the scarcity of trained optometrists and inadequate infrastructure. In addition, limited government funding and resources for eyecare and education present significant challenges.
How can we make optometry eyecare and education more accessible, equitable, affordable, and effective? Describe your viewpoint and how we can implement those ideas in your country? What should be the plan of action?
To improve access, equity, affordability, and efficacy of optometry eyecare and education, it is vital to enhance awareness of the significance of eye health and the availability of services. This can be accomplished by conducting community outreach programs and forging partnerships with local organisations. Furthermore, there should be initiatives to lower the cost of eyecare services and education, such as increased government funding and subsidies for those who require them. Telemedicine and digital platforms can also be leveraged to reach people in remote or underserved regions. In my country, a multi-stakeholder approach would be necessary to devise and execute policies and programs that tackle the challenges and gaps in the eyecare and education system, with participation from optometrists, government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector.
2nd Runner-up
Name: Ms Sunidhi Kumari
Affiliation: Dr. BC Roy Engineering College
What are the specific challenges or barriers that you identified to accessing optometry eye care, or education in your country?
As an optometry student who has carefully observed various aspects of the field, I have noticed that new graduates face numerous barriers that can be classified into five categories: financial, educational, political, business, and personal. These challenges include determining the ideal practice setting, optimising finances, managing co-workers, patients, and insurance, and providing quality patient care. The complexity of these tasks can be overwhelming and lead to discouragement and disillusionment among optometrists.
How can we make optometry eyecare and education more accessible, equitable, affordable, and effective? Describe your viewpoint and how we can implement those ideas in your country? What should be the plan of action?
Considering the theme of World Optometry Day this year, it is crucial to devise a robust plan of action to achieve the goal of making optometry eyecare and education accessible, equitable, affordable, and effective. To address the issue of insufficient funds for independent practice, financial management education should be provided in schools to encourage students to pursue optometry instead of alternative options. It is also vital to prioritize skills such as negotiating contracts, evaluating insurance, understanding legal matters, and determining the economics of starting an optometric practice to overcome barriers and elevate the prominence of optometry eyecare and education.
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