Brien Holden Vision Institute, The University of New South Wales, Barker St., Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Indian J Ophthalmol. 2012 Sep-Oct;60(5):401-5. doi: 10.4103/0301-4738.100534.
India has a proud tradition of blindness prevention, being the first country in the world to implement a blindness control programme which focused on a model to address blinding eye disease. However, with 133 million people blind or vision impaired due to the lack of an eye examination and provision of an appropriate pair of spectacles, it is imperative to establish a cadre of eye care professionals to work in conjunction with ophthalmologists to deliver comprehensive eye care. The integration of highly educated four year trained optometrists into primary health services is a practical means of correcting refractive error and detecting ocular disease, enabling co-managed care between ophthalmologists and optometrists. At present, the training of optometrists varies from two year trained ophthalmic assistants/optometrists or refractionists to four year degree trained optometrists. The profession of optometry in India is not regulated, integrated into the health care system or recognised by the majority of people in India as provider of comprehensive eye care services. In the last two years, the profession of optometry in India is beginning to take the necessary steps to gain recognition and regulation to become an independent primary health care profession. The formation of the Indian Optometry Federation as the single peak body of optometry in India and the soon to be established Optometry Council of India are key organisations working towards the development and regulation of optometry.
印度在预防失明方面有着悠久的历史，是世界上第一个实施失明控制计划的国家，该计划专注于解决致盲眼病的模式。然而，由于缺乏眼部检查和提供适当的眼镜，印度有 1.33 亿人失明或视力受损，因此必须建立一支眼科保健专业人员队伍，与眼科医生合作，提供全面的眼科保健。将受过高等教育的四年制验光师整合到基层医疗服务中，是纠正屈光不正和检测眼部疾病的一种实用方法，使眼科医生和验光师能够共同管理护理。目前，验光师的培训从两年制眼科助理/验光师或验光师到四年制学位验光师不等。印度的验光行业不受监管，未融入医疗保健系统，也未被印度大多数人认可为全面眼科保健服务的提供者。在过去的两年中，印度的验光行业开始采取必要措施获得认可和监管，成为一个独立的基层医疗保健专业。印度验光师联合会作为印度唯一的验光师最高机构的成立，以及即将成立的印度验光师理事会，是为了推动验光行业的发展和监管而设立的重要组织。
