Arvind Eye Hospital, Madurai, a leading training and research institute has launched the country's first tele-ophthalmology network to strengthen its mission of eradicating blindness globally.

The hospital, aided by Orbis International Works and Acumen Fund, both foreign non-governmental organisations, will use the network for patient care, training human resources and capacity building of other eye care programmes, according to Dr Kim, in-charge of the Arvind tele-ophthalmology network.

The telelink will initially be provided between the hospital's headquarters in Madurai and its branch at Coimbatore, before linking to other branches in Theni, Tirunelveli and Pondicherry.

It would also be extended to associate eye care institutions, partner hospitals, independent eye care practitioners and rural Internet centres, according to Dr Kim.

"India was facing an acute shortage of specialists and the ratio of ophthalmologists was one per 21,000 population in the cities and one per 2.19 lakh population in rural areas. Twenty five per cent of the 12 million visually impaired in the country needed expertise. Such a situation needed a network to avoid specialists and patients wasting time on travel," Dr. Kim added.

The Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University and University of Iowa, would soon collaborate with the hospital in teaching and patient consultation using the network, according to Dr. Kim.