The University of Guyana (UG)’s Bachelor of Optometry programme produced its first batch of graduates, under European Union (EU) funded initiative of the ‘Delivering V2020’in the Caribbean.
According to a Delegation of the EU to Guyana press release, the programme is as a result of a collaborative effort among the Caribbean Council for the Blind (CCB), CCB- Eye Care Guyana, the Ministry of Health, UG and Sightsavers. The EU is contributing a total of 4 million Euros over a five-year period with the aim of reducing the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment amongst rural and poor populations in the Caribbean.
The Optometry programme currently has 105 students coming from Guyana, Dominica, Jamaica, St Lucia and Haiti.
The first batch of 22 students graduated on November 8 with the expectation of increasing the number of eye health service providers in the Caribbean region. In addition to financial commitment already embarked upon by EU, they had also provided scholarships to nine of the students among the first batch graduates.
Head of Delegation of the EU to Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecky met with three of the graduates on November 7, namely Antonia McCurchin, Khohane Blake and Luciean Andrews.
Blake, according to the report, has a mother who is blind, through whose encouragement she was able to receive a good education which eventually led to UG. Blake who is from rural Jamaica will now be able to provide eye health services her surrounding community.
