Veterinary Ophthalmology Conference

May 13-16, 2010 are the dates for the European Veterinary Ophthalmology Conference, Ireland, covering the topics of Eyelids, Large animal ophthalmology, Cataract surgery and Hereditary eye diseases. For further information, contact info@evo2010.com

Dr. Narendra Kumar
Editor, Optometry Today
OptometryToday@gmail.com

Make the accompanying child busy while attending to your patient

Recently while attending a young contact lens patient whose child was not sitting at one place, I asked the kid about his interest in drawing and handed him a writing pad and a pen to draw something. I could then concentrate on the patient while the child was busy in the creative work illustrated here!

Dr. Narendra Kumar
ophthacare@gmail.com

Is this an `N’ or an inverted `Z’?

Many years ago I ordered my golden ring with the letter `S’ (to signify the first letter of the name of my wife Sheela) inscribed on it. But, since `S’ is also the first letter of the names of my three sister-in-laws, I changed the inscription to `N’. My co-brother jokingly borrowed my ring and showing the inverted `Z’ told my father-in-law that he got it as a present from Zenith at Khopoli where he worked as an engineer! So, we see the answer depends on the way we look at things.

Although optometry was introduced in India way back in 1958, not only public awareness of the term is highly lacking, even many ophthalmologists address an optometrist as an optician. And, step-motherly treatment meted out to the primary eye care profession by the Government in delaying the introduction of legislation to regulate its practice is supposedly the biggest drawback in creating this wrong perception.

Dr. Narendra Kumar

What’s this?

Ever since joining Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, as Refractionist in the year 1962, my life revolved round optometry by way of attending to a never-ending stream of patients, helping establish Indian Optometric Association, taking up the publication of Optometry Today in the interest of the betterment of the profession, studying for a degree course in (ayurvedic) medicine to broaden the sphere of my working, and ultimately settling down in private ptactice as a part of the clinic run by my ophthalmologist son Maneesh (ophthacare@gmail.com).

But, there’s certainly life as well beyond optometry! Encouraged by my long-forgotten passion for art, coupled with the family’s interest in `Dance India dance’ programme on TV, I leisurely tried out my hand on a creation making use of `waste’ strands of threads and glass-paint. Now, can someone help me out with its title?

Dr. Narendra Kumar

`Babloo…’ eye care publication

Addressing the eye-care issue to a young child in a simple, amusing but factual style, which children find both fun and reassuring, is the core idea behind the small, illustrated booklet `Babloo goes for an eye-test’ – authored by Dr. Narendra Kumar and published by Optometry Today for the charitable trust Eye Care India.

Besides being a maiden effort in writing for children on eye-care, the purpose is to create the much-needed eye-care awareness. And the highlighted areas include School, Cricket, T.V., Animal welfare, Veterinary doctor, Pharmaceutical drops, Eye doctor (Optometrist-Ophthalmologist), Battery torch, Retinoscope, Ophthalmoscope, Distant vision test types, Spectacle frame, and Plastic ophthalmic lenses.

To promote the concept of basic eye-care, the booklet is intended to be subscribed by nursery and primary school libraries as well by eye care professionals for their reception areas. It has been acclaimed both in India and in overseas countries, and was recently featured in the widely-read Italian optical magazine Vedere International, May 2009 issue. And will soon be available for “free” download on the website http://optometrytoday.org

Dr. Narendra Kumar

On hardships

Leaving aside the issue of the non-introduction of Government legislation to regulate the practice of optometry even after its introduction in the country way back in the year 1958, let me this time focus on the miseries of the average citizen.

Land-line phone going dead or disturbance creeping in, daily newspaper full of crime stories, market flooding with counterfeit currency notes, blatant encroachment on public land, menace of unauthorized weekly markets, rising inflation, and above all frequent electric load-shedding…all play the nerve-racking game like the childish bickering of our legislators in the parliament, forgetting, and not caring, about the basic issues to provide some relief to the common man in terms of food, clothing and dwelling. Yes, God is surely there; otherwise how could life go on in the face of such hardships?

Dr. Narendra Kumar

Home decor

Besides the best possible clinical set-up, the eye care professional tries to maintain certain decor at home as well. And, the soft, serene surroundings in the most-commonly-occupied area of the house, the lobby - like a work of nature’s photograph - are eye- and soul-soothing for the entire family.

The picture depicts the 65”x44” framed photo of Hyde Park London supplied by Podar Group of Concerns, Mumbai (ajaypodar@hotmail.com).

Dr. Narendra Kumar