General Secretary’s Desk

Vision for AIOS

I express my heartfelt gratitude for reposing the faith and trust in us and electing me and Dr. Rajesh Sinha in AIOS, as Hony. Secretary & Treasurer respectively.

The first thing that comes to comes to anyone's mind when we think of AIOS is the fact that AIOS is of the members, by the members and for the members. So, every step, every policy and every action of AIOS should be for maximizing the benefits for all the members i.e. AIOS for ALL.

Communication is the key to success. The most important thing for us to reach each one of you and for each of you to communicate with us is the data base updating of the AIOS. A software will be worked on so that the member can change his or her profile on the website on his/her own if and when there is a change in the contact address, email or telephone.

This will also augment the "Go Green Revolution", wherein most communications would be sent by emails. However, having said this there are some vital communications which will still go as hard copies. We need to strengthen and help our young ophthalmologists in all the possible manner we can, which should be inclusive of post graduate teaching, fellowship programs, acquiring surgical skills, finding employment in corporate sectors and government institutions and even setting up of private practices. Exchange fellowship programmes with international institutions of repute and ophthalmic societies is already on the way but will be further augmented.

As a part of responsibility towards our patients, it is imperative that AIOS takes out patient education pamphlets which may be used or modified by all ophthalmologists to suit their clinics and practices. Similarly, SOPs or step-by-step instructions will be formulated for basic procedures and routine operations in ophthalmology to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance of investigative and ophthalmic surgical disciplines all over the country.

Web based interactive Session and/panel discussions is ongoing in the form of Webinars. This would include not only ophthalmic topics but would be beyond ophthalmology such as practice management, career planning, medicolegal issues, empanelment issues, accreditation etc.

AIOS Resource centre at headquarters will be made which will include a dedicated state of the art Wet Laboratory for hands on training, a museum and a library. AIOS - Industry wing/Partnership program will be launched which will help ophthalmologists to know the various products or machines available in Indian market and highlights and features of each will be displayed so that practitioners and physicians can decide their requirement. Further liaison will be done to help members by making a legal cell.

Advocacy is the key component and a game changing component for any society to make a difference. It is important to build and advocate communication with the various governmental agencies and key non-governmental organisations to facilitate policies in favour of ophthalmologists. All this can be achieved with close cooperation of the members and vibrant and active participation of the state as well as city ophthalmic societies. I am confident that with the active cooperation of the GC, MC and AIOS members, we will reach our goal soon: AIOS is for ALL.

Prof. (Dr.) Namrata Sharma,
Hony. General Secretary, AIOS
secretary@aios.org