IOF: Report Sep.2011-Sep 2013

1. IOF: Report Sep.2011-Sep 2013 -Rajesh Wadhwa(Founder President)

2. Before we list our achievements, credits first --- teamwork • I wish to thank those who deserve the actual credit of these achievements • All members & Gov.board of IOF • Prof.Brien Holden& his team • OGS,BHVI,IVI & other organizations that have helped

3. Special thanks to my 3 special arms—the executive committee (All of them I hold in high esteem) V.President:Optom. R.S.Berwal Treasurer: Optom. Sanjay Misra Secretary: Optom. Anil K Tyagi President: Optom. Rajesh Wadhwa

4. ….also thanks to • PadmashreeVipinBucksheyji • Ms.LakshmiShinde • Mr.Vinod Daniel • Mr.Joby Samuel • Our advertisers • Every optometrist of India • And others whose names Imay have inadvertently missed

5. We have treaded forward with a spirit of • Democracy & have communicated with the team as often as can be possible. • Through emails, phone calls regular bi-monthly newsletter. • To have overall growth of optometry • Our newsletter has been regular. • Earlier, the designing was being done in Australia. • We have organized this work to be done in India now • We need a communication person to handle this

6. Bi-Monthly newsletters All newsletter archives can be downloaded from IOF website

7. We have treaded forward with a spirit • To safeguard interests of & to increase prestige of optometry • To Influence government policies for betterment of optometry • Lot of work is completed & a lot is in pipeline

8. In the tenure of this team 2011 to 2013 • Landmark dates for optometry: • World Sight Day 2011,2012 • World Optometry Day 2012,2013 • IOF has made good use of these days to get national & international leverage and has been working in-between too

9. Achievements (WSD 2011) • Vision 2020-India • Represented at National conference (Udaipur-Oct.2011 on WSD) (by president) • Advocacy report was circulated to all • We requested entry by emphasizing to the then CEO of VISION-2o2o that we are worthy of membership

10. Vision 2020-India • Now IOF is a member of Vision 2020 -India • They carry our news in their newsletter and have posted WOD of IOF on their website • Our hony. secretary Optom. Anil Tyagi is a member of their committee that will do mapping of optometrists for north India • They have accepted to include one representative of IOF in their board meetings and Mr.AjeetBhardwaj has been assigned for this

11. Achievements (WSD 2011) • We had created banners & distributed them (delivered at doorstep) of interested professionals/institutions • Results were amazing

12. Posters Samples of banners(delivered to doorstep) Banners

13. World sight day 2012 • Banners sayng “This event is supported by IOF” • World Sight Day celebrations by IOF • Thank you Optom.K.K.John for managing the distribution

14. Website IOF website • www.indianoptometryfederation.org

15. UGC • Earlier, UGC had released a gazette regarding optometry. There were two changes that were requested by optometry fraternity. • IOF has pursued the matter and now M.Optom is correctly accepted as 2 years (it was printed as 4 yrs earlier), also only "Bachelor of clinical optometry" was earlier printed, now "Bachelor of Optometry" is recognized • This effort of Indian optometry Federation has materialized through RTI & then appellate.

16. Optometry awareness (chief activities) • More participation of IOF on yahoo groups • More visibility on facebook (approx 1500 fans) • Letter to printers who make diaries & calendars for marking Mar.23 as “World Optometry Day” 1489…1518

17. Rajya Sabha bill • IOF board contributed in drafting the letters for amendment to the bill • Thank you! Your efforts worked & we could achieve over 2000 letters delivered to the RajyaSabha secretariat

18. IAPB Sep 2012 Representation at 9ga IAPB meeting A one day workshop on “Standardisation of optometry education at different levels” was held on 16th September 2012, before the 9ga IAPB meeting. Poster presentation and active participation of IOF Members and Staff at 9GA IAPB in enhancing IOF programs

19. World optometry Day 2012 • Flip-chart campaign along with ASCO • Content is available for free download from website • And for World Optometry Day we created a campaign from March 23,2012 to Apr.7,2012

20. World Optometry Day 2012 www.indianoptometryfederation.org

21. More efforts for optometry awareness (WOD -2012) • Lecture by president on “Present status of optometry in India & What are we doing-March 2012” at university of (sponsored by university)

22. Pride in being called optometrist • World Optometry Day 2013: Plates ”Clinic of Optometrist”

23. We had announced that awareness of optometry & optometrist should be increased • Our efforts towards this have been noticeable

24. Request for independent council • Acknowledgement from Min of state for health & family welfare regarding receipt of request for independent council

25. PHFI and Govt.of India….ongoing • PHFI • Initially “optometry missing” • One discipline called “optometry”….. • We emphasized that optometry deserves to have an independent council • Then the report of PHFI finally came in Dec 2012

26. PHFI and Govt. of India….ongoing • On carefully studying the PHFI report, following were not acceptable in the interest of optometry • Optometry is “allied” profession • There is no definition of terms like optometry, allied, paramedical • IOF took action…

27. PHFI and Govt. of India….ongoing • IOF sent request to PHFI under RTI to define these terms • PHFI says, common dictionary definition used • IOF has filed request again with first appellate

28. Govt. of India….ongoing • IOF along with ASCO & OCI met Govt.of India in May 2013 • Wish-list of profession was forwarded to government • Optometry should be classified as independent profession • Optometrist should have independent therapeutic rights • Minutes also excerpted in IOF newsletter Aug.2013 • For further action, new governing board is being requested in today’s agenda to take this up

29. PHFI and Govt. of India….ongoing • It was realized that several member associations and others do not know what document to give to government in order to support the demands of profession • A master document of about 45 pages was created by IOF

30. The master document of IOF • This document states • Why optometry should be independent • Why PHFI report is not acceptable to us • Document carries supportive documentary evidence • This can be downloaded freely from IOF website and submitted to any agency with a covering letter

31. Amendment to constitution • Amendment to constitution of IOF completed: in order to accommodate membership of associations that are registered with other state/government agencies (than registrar of societies).

32. Achievements of IOF are to be assessed not only by what we have done but also by what we have overcome.

33. Many other things take up time and resource • Bank account (SBI) • PAN ( duplicate also) • TAN • Part-time accountant • Administrative officer • Consolidation with audit of documents • Database of members of member associations • Renewal of membership • New member applications approved

34. We must know:There is no elevator to success We have to take the stairs Pride in how far we have come & faith in how far we can reach.

35. We all have contributed towards a major event of history • We all created IOF that we have not inherited but should become a proud inheritance by our successors

36. All have given me respect & support & I am grateful for that • Optometry ki asli udaan baki hai • irada ho to abhi imtihan baki hai • abhi to napi hai zara si zamin • Hazoor dekhiye,poora asman abhi baki hai(Translate: we have yet to go a long way) ---Rajesh Wadhwar_wadhwa@yahoo.com