The global leader in eye care Alcon International in association with Aravind Eye Care System announced the launch of ’India’s first Global Centre of Excellence for Cataract Surgery Training’ in Chennai.

“It is the first dedicated centre to provide comprehensive training in advanced cataract surgery procedure for ophthalmology residents,” Alcon International President Rajkumar Narayanan told The Hindu.

As per the plan, the CoE will be located inside Aravind Eye Hospital Poonamallee campus. In the first year, it plans to train about 180 residents and practising doctors in advanced procedures such as phacoemulsification (phaco).

“We will supply high end equipment for the Alcon Arvind Centre for Surgical Advancement, while Aravind Eye Care will take care of the training part. The certified course is expected to begin by Q4 of this year,” he said.

“Most of the ophthalmic residency programmes in India focus on basic cataract surgery and few offer phaco training. The CoE aims to address this gap by providing surgical residents with more exposure to high quality equipment and training,” he said.

The CoE aims to tie-up with medical colleges across the country and provide training in advanced phaco surgery to ophthalmology residents. It will also serve as a hub for phaco training for doctors from Africa, said an Alcon official.

Going forward, Alcon is contemplating setting up CoE in South Africa and Latin America countries.