An IVI initiative to motivate and train young eyecare professionals to take up a leadership role in optometry, the year-long IVI Young Leaders Program was launched with a two-day workshop at Hyderabad on 27-28 April 2013. Given the sheer magnitude of challenges in eyecare delivery in India, the program will equip participants to approach challenges with a fresh perspective.
The workshop was supported by Optometry Giving Sight and the Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation. The workshop introduced participants to core leadership concepts, including creative thinking and change management. To experience a real life example of leadership in eyecare delivery in practice, the group interacted with experts at L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI); and obtained insights into the leadership role played by key optometry stakeholders including IOF, ASCO and OCI.
Participants also got a broader understanding of how eye health is linked to public health and the challenges of integrating the two.
The ten-member Young Leaders group, selected on a competitive basis, comprises eyecare practitioners, educators, researchers and eyecare service managers from across India:
Mr Abhishek Kalbarga, Professional Services Manager, Ben Franklin Opticians, Hyderabad; Mr Akash Deep Rastogi, Consultant Optometrist, Dr Om Prakash Eye Institute, Amritsar; Ms Jissa James, Program Manager, IVI; Dr Kalika Bandamwar, Manager, Brien Holden Vision Institute Research Centre, Hyderabad; Ms Priya Gupta, Program Manager, IVI; Dr Rishi Bhardwaj, Vice-Principal, Nethradhama School of Optometry, Bangalore; Ms Runa Talukdar, Lecturer, Vidyasagar College of Optometry & Vision Science, Kolkata; Dr Rupinder Sahota, Administrative Manager, Rotary Eye Care Centre, New Delhi; Mr Uday Kumar Addepalli, Consultant Optometrist, Glaucoma Department, LVPEI, Hyderabad; and Ms Vidyut Rajhans, Principal, MES College of Optometry, Pune.
The second Young Leaders workshop planned for 27-28 July 2013 in New Delhi, will focus on resource generation, promotion and media management, social enterprise and eyecare and healthcare industry.
