Impact of middle level eye care personnel on the delivery of eye care services in South-western Nigeria

Authors

  • Tayo J. Bogunjoko Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria
  • Adekunle O. Hassan Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria
  • Ogugua Okonkwo Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria
  • Toyin Akanbi Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria
  • Mildred Ulaikere Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria
  • Ayodele Akinye Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria
  • Halima Bogunjoko Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria
  • Monsurat Y. Lawal-Sebioniga Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese, Ogun State, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20180740

Keywords:

Community ophthalmic technicians, Ophthalmologists, Eye foundation

Abstract

Background: The objectives of the study were to review the training and assess the impact of middle level eye care personnel (community ophthalmic technician) with skills to complement the services of the ophthalmologist for efficient eye care system and fulfilling vision 2020 goals.

Methods: The collaboration between 2010 and 2015 was reviewed with an institutional questionnaire for both Eye Foundation Centre and College of Health Technology in Ijebu, Nigeria: structure of 2 year training Programme and one year internship, community ophthalmic technicians (COT) as assistants to ophthalmologists, hierarchy/career options and challenges and ensuring clinical quality and their strength in the Eye Foundation Eye Health System were appraised.

Results: From 2010 to 2015, a total of 72 COTs have graduated, 41(57%) of them employed by the Eye Foundation Hospital Group. Apart from this, 28 did their internship in 2015, 19 (68%) out of this at Eye Foundation establishments in southwestern and north central Nigeria. Others are employed by other government or nongovernmental agencies. From 2010 to 2015, outpatients’ visits have increased from 42,962 to 104,239 at its peak, surgical volume from 3,999 to 18,350 at the Eye Foundation Hospital Group. The COT programme has been accredited by International Joint Commission on Allied health personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO).

Conclusions: COTs with skills are required in large numbers to complement the services of ophthalmologists for efficient eye health system. Their contribution is very important to meet the vision 2020 human resources objectives for Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Author Biography

Tayo J. Bogunjoko, Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness Ilese-Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, Nigeria

Consultant Ophthalmologist

References

Kyari F, Murthy VSG, Selvaraj S, Clare EG, Mohammed MA, Entekume G, et al. Prevalence of Blindness and Visual Impairment in Nigeria: The National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009;50:2033–9.

World Health Organisation: Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness. World Health Organization; 1997.

Vision 2020: Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness: Action Plan 2006 to 2011. WHO; 2007. Available at: http://www.who.int/ blindness/Vision2020_report.pdf. Accessed on 3 October 2017.

Golnick K, Anderson L. Training, certification and accreditation for eye teams. Community Eye Health. 2014;2786:28.

Resnikoff S, Felch W, Gauthier T, Spivey B. The number of ophthalmologists in practice and training worldwide: a growing gap despite more than 200 000 practitioners. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012.

Palmer JJ, Chinanayi F, Gilbert A, Pillay D, Fox S, Jaggernath J, et al. Mapping human resources for eye health in 21 countries of sub-Saharan Africa: current progress towards VISION 2020. Human Resources for Health. 2014;12:44.

Bogunjoko TJ, Hassan AO, Akanbi TB, Ashaye AS, Akinye AA. Analysis of Human Resources for Eye Health in Ogun State of Nigeria: Progress towards Vision 2020. Br J Med Med Res. 2017;1910:1-9:BJMMR.31702

Trevelyan J. Vision Atlas Global Action Plan Indicators

Kim U. Role of Mid-Level Ophthalmic Paramedical staff MLOPS in Developing countries. Aravind Eye Care System. WOC 2006.

Astle W, Simms C, Anderson L. A workforce in crisis: a case study to expand allied ophthalmic personnel. Can Jophthalmol. 2016;51:4.

Prasad N, Thoughts on establishing mid-level ophthalmic personnel for VISION 2020 in India. Community Eye Health. 2005;1855:112.

du Toit R, Brian G, Mid-level cadre providing eye care in the context of Vision 2020. N Z Med J. 2009;1221291:77-88.

World Health Organization. Mid-Level Ophthalmic Personnel in South-East Asia. World Health Organization, South East Asia Region. New Delhi, 2002.

Qureshi B. Developing Competent Allied Ophthalmic Personnel. https://www.iapb.org/blog/resources-develop-competent-allied-ophthalmic-personnel, 2017.

Hassan A.O. Personal communications.

http://www.aravind.org/default/clinicscontent/hospitals

Aravind eye care system in 2009. One mission, multiple roads. Available at: https://www. slideshare.net/ilaagrawal/aravind-eye-care-system-in-2009-team-1. Accessed on 3 October 2017.

William F, Sheriff G, Robert L, Marc D, Anderson L, Dukes M, et al. Survey on allied health personnel in Canadian ophthalmology: the scalpel for change. Can J Ophthalmol. 2011;46:28–34.

Palagyi A1, Brian G, Ramke J. Training and using mid-level eye care workers: early lessons from Timor-Leste. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2010;388:805-11.

Bogunjoko T, Hassan A. Significantly increasing cataract surgical rate in Nigeria. Available at: http://www.iapb.org/sites/iapb.org/files/Increasing%20Cataract%20Surgical%20Rate%20in%20Nigeria_Eye%20Foundation%20Centre_0.pdf. Accessed on 3 October 2017.

http://nnjs.org.np/index/page/opthalmic-assistant-train. Accessed on 3 October 2017.

Downloads

Published

2018-02-24

How to Cite

Bogunjoko, T. J., Hassan, A. O., Okonkwo, O., Akanbi, T., Ulaikere, M., Akinye, A., Bogunjoko, H., & Lawal-Sebioniga, M. Y. (2018). Impact of middle level eye care personnel on the delivery of eye care services in South-western Nigeria. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 5(3), 871–879. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20180740

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles