About the Eastern India Optometric Association (EIOA)
Optometry profession came to West Bengal in 1927 by the MR. K. D. Dutta. He studied optometry at London and came back to his home at Bedone Street, Kolkata, West Bengal in the year 1926 and established his practice as well as an Optometry College in the year 1927 in the name of “The College of Optics”.
Eastern India Optometric Association was established in the year 2002 by a group of optometrists (one of them was Mr. Dhruba Dutta who was the son of Mr. K. D. Dutta) to make optometry education world standard and assessable vision care and primary eye health service to all the people in Eastern India. Because West Bengal is the first state of India where optometry was established first in India.
To make development of optometry practice, optometry education and to establish optometry council EIOA have fought against the government. To make a strong voice against the central government EIOA have tried to unify all optometry associations nationally by making and joining Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) at Delhi. By this way Eastern India Optometric Association is also one of the founder Governing body members of IOF. In West Bengal EIOA have made and joined the Forum for Optometrist to make unification of Optometry to create a strong voice against the government.
Our Mission
Our mission is to establish Optometry as an Independent profession in India at the same time
facilitating the development of optometry around all over Eastern India and support optometrists
in promoting eye health and vision care as a human right through advocacy, education, policy
development and humanitarian outreach.
Our Vision
Our vision is to provide world class optometry services making high quality eye and vision care
accessible to all people. Provide the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system, people
across Eastern India. Teaching eye care personnel, especially in low vision care, refraction,
vision therapy, optical dispensing and contact lens. Providing screening and vision care services
at secondary and tertiary levels. Detection and management of potentially blinding diseases such
as cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
Our Aims and Objectives
- Our objectives, as defined in our Constitution of EIOA, under Societies Act XXVI of 1961
West Bengal. - To adopt the definition of optometry and optometrist of WCO/WHO.
- The enhancement and development of primary eye and vision care by optometrists.
- The provision of support to aid programs directed at the provision of eye and vision care to
societies in need. - The promotion of the advancement of the science of optometry.
- To achieve legislation and recognition of the optometry profession in Eastern India.
- Representations and suggestions to Govt. Authorities for the job opportunities and
promotion of optometrist working under the state governments, private sectors, and own
practice optometry, etc. - To coordinate with the activities of various established associations/societies of optometry
discipline. - To organize the conference, symposium, seminars. Workshops and refresher courses.
- To organize various free eye camps for the benefit of the needy patient and poor
community in local areas. - To supervise and advise on the legislation affecting optometry practice, optometrists and
optometric/opticianary science. - To ensure ethical practice and professional conduct of its members as lay down by the
association from time to time. - To improve the standards of vision and eye care in the general public
- To promote the interest of optometrists of Eastern India for independent practice and
research in optometry discipline. - To secure whenever possible organized and concerted actions on all matters involving
problems of members. - Undertake eye and vision care education to prevent visual impairment and
control/eradication of blindness in Eastern India. - Up-gradation of optometry education from diploma in optometry to Bachelor in optometry
four years, Master and Ph.D. courses. - Unification of optometrist designation and one nomenclature of degree as Bachelor in
optometry as per guideline of the University Grant commission. - Reduce the number of blind persons from 80% avoidable blindness (due to refractive errors and backlog refractive errors from 24% to 0% in India by the optometry services.)