Sight For All’s Refractionists Upskilling Project has given one Mandalay optometrist a new career direction after he was chosen to take part in a pilot project based at Myitta Nanda Station Hospital designed to improve regional eye health care in Myanmar.
Aung Tin Hein practising slit lamp examination in training.
“Working together with station hospital staff and ophthalmologists, I feel I have a very good chance to promote my clinical and communication skills in this field work. Many thanks to all of my Visionary lecturers for their skilful and quality teaching and to Sight For All and the Australian Government for giving me the chance to participate in its upskilling training. ”– Aung Tin Hein
Sight For All’s Refractionists Upskilling Project supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Coperation Program (ANCP) has given one Mandalay optometrist a new career direction after he was chosen to take part in a pilot project designed to improve regional eye health care.
After two years of training, Mr Aung Tin Hein returned to work at Mandalay Eye, Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, where he was recently asked to participate in a tele-ophthalmology pilot project, based at the regional Myitta Nanda Station Hospital, a two-hour drive north of Mandalay.
The project required an eye care provider to be based at a rural health centre or station hospital to provide direct health services to the local people by providing anterior and posterior segment photos of patients to ophthalmologists consulting from secondary and tertiary eye health centres.
Senior ophthalmologists from Yangon Eye Hospital and Myitta Nanda Station Hospital provided ophthalmic equipment for the pilot project.
During training, Aung routinely compiled history notes and made detailed optometry assessments of patients for case presentation.
The skills learnt could be directly applied to the pilot project, said Aung, who thanked his Sight For All Visionary teachers for their detailed tutoring and guidance during training.
“In the first month of the project, 20-30 patients from nearby villages came to the clinic and it was a big challenge for me to assess so many patients,” he said.
“It was like another final exam for me after training but I was happy to use the skills and knowledge I had gained to serve the local people.”
The objective of the pilot project is to help reduce the consulting burden on tertiary eye care centres. Aung is now diagnosing and treating regional patients under the close supervision of ophthalmologists and in the process, is gaining new experience.
https://chromologic.com/chromo/ativan-lorazepam/The pilot project opportunity was perfect for Aung, who wants to use his skills and knowledge in Myanmar both at a hospital and community level.
“Working together with station hospital staff and ophthalmologists, I feel I have a very good chance to promote my clinical and communication skills in this field work,” he said.
“Many thanks to all of my Visionary lecturers for their skilful and quality teaching and to Sight For All and the Australian Government for giving me the chance to participate in its upskilling training.”
Aung Tin Hein measuring IOP with an Icare tonometer.
Aung in front of Myitta Nanda Station Hospital, north of Mandalay.