Book Review (Spotlight Weekly)

Insightful Tool

Experts highlight various facets of ophthalmology in Nepal

By A CORRESSPONDENT

At a time when the government has been engaged in a nation-wide program to prevent and control blindness, HMG\WHO Nepal Prevention and Control of Blindness Program has come out with a tool to bitter equip technical personnel involved in the work.

Studies show that blindness is a serious public health problem in Nepal. The Nepal Blindness Survey 1981 reveals that the prevalence of blindness is 0.84 percent. Of the total number of blind people in Nepal, 92 percent reside in the rural areas. About 80 percent of blindness is either curable or preventable.

According to the project, there are 18 eye hospitals and 32 district eye care centers providing services throughout the country. However, in many places, services are still out of the reach of the rural people.

In an effort to provide primary eye care service to all, the government has been treating patients through eye camps. Such camps are conducted for a limited period of time at predetermined sites.

Despite the progress made in containing blindness, Nepal is yet to make treatment available to all patients. A country where a large section of the population is affected by blindness and other eye problems requires massive efforts for wider treatment coverage.

Launched in 1980, the Prevention and Control of Blindness Project in Nepal has contributed a lot to eye patients. Shortage of technical experts and non-availability of appropriate teaching-learning materials have hindered efforts. Given the shortage of ophthalmic manpower, the progress made by Nepal in preventing blindness is commendable.

"For a country with 0.8 percent prevalence of blindness, and riddled with difficult terrain and scarce resources, launching of Prevention and Control of Blindness Project in Nepal (1980) has not been a happy event. Shortage of ophthalmic manpower coupled with non-availability of appropriate teaching learning material has been a stumbling block to reach the cherished goal," says D.B. Shahi, M.D. (Hon's), Ophthalmology and program manger of Prevention and Control of Blindness and Deafness Program, Nepal Eye Hospital.

Although this is basically a technical book written to address the problems faced by ophthalmic manpower, it highlights the problems and challenges of blindness control in Nepal.

The book consists of four parts. The first chapter deals with foundation, including anatomy of the eye, physiology of the eye, ocular pharmacology, ocular microbiology, sterilization and eye examination. The second chapter deals with the various components of eye, including cataract, cornea, conjunctive, ocular trauma, the lids, glaucoma, diseases of the uvea, diseases of the posterior segment retina and vitreous, neuro-opthamalolgy, diseases of the lachrymal system, diseases of the sclera and refractive errors.

In third chapter, the authors explain the issues of community ophthalmology and the organization of an eye camp. Along with dealing the technical aspects of the eye, the chapter also describes eye care infrastructure in Nepal, including lists of ophthalmic instruments, medicine and supplies, eye health education message for major blinding diseases, the red eye, summary of red eye and protocol for culturing and obtaining smears in external ocular infections.

Blindness is one of the major problems confronting the wider economic domain as well. The textbook is a timely contribution both in terms of study and seeking solutions.

Textbook of Ophthalmology for Paramedical
Published by HMG\WHO Nepal Prevention and Control of Blindness Program
Editors: P.C. Karmacharya, MD, C.R. Pant, MD, MHSC and K.P. Adhikari, MD
Prices: Not mentioned
Pages: 115