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Participants to the first institute planning meeting at Aravind in 1990
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As far as 1985, Aravind began to investigate establishing a centre for training health care professionals in the art of combining good planning and management with appropriate technology and medical skills. Along with the support of Seva Foundation and Seva Services Society, workshops and planning sessions were held during the next few years to clarify the mission of a training centre and set the direction for establishing it.
During this period, Aravind collaborated with Madurai Kamraj University to offer a two year Masters in Hospital Management programme. Aravind also conducted Management training courses for WHO sponsored participants.
Aravind’s resolve to provide management training and the groundwork laid for developing such an institute attracted the support of the Lions Club International SightFirst programme. The result was the establishment of Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO) in 1993.
To complement its international eye care programmes, the Lions International SightFirst programme awarded Aravind a development grant for the construction of a training centre building to house teaching and administrative areas. Construction of the 50,000 square-feet structure was completed in 1996. A residence house was also built to accommodate visiting faculty and students.
LAICO is the first Asia-based international training facility for blindness prevention workers. Until now no such training had been available in the development world where the vast majority of the world’s blind live. The Institute focuses on teaching the knowledge and skills required to plan, manage, and implement high volume, high quality, low cost eye care programmes. LAICO teaches health care managers such things as cost controls, effective utilization of resources and improving surgical output. The training programmes utilize the broad environment of the Aravind hospital system. LAICO trains ophthalmic personnel and community health programme managers from throughout the developing world.
Students come from different cultural and academic backgrounds and have varying levels of expertise and responsibility. Some participants in comprehensive three to six month courses while others receive specific training in intensive two week courses. Upon completion of their training, the participants, in turn, train and mobilize others in their own communities. Those trained at LAICO will take home both the knowledge of the Aravind model and Dr. V’s philosophy of total care of the patient from eye to soul.
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Dr. Charles Schepens, Founder of Retina Foundation, USA, & Mrs. Cette Schepens performing LAICO Bhoomi Pooja on 24th March 1993.
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Dr. Carl Kupfer, Director of the National Eye Institute, USA, inaugurating LAICO on 25th February 1996.
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The “Boomi Pooja” was performed by Dr. Charles Schepens, founder of the Retina Foundation, Boson, USA on March 24, 1993.
Lions International President Ln. Rohit C. Mehta laid the Foundation Stone on May 26, 1993. From there LAICO evolved with the combined support of the Lions Club International’s SightFirst Programme and Seva Sight Programme. It is Asia’s first international training facility for blindness prevention workers in India and other parts of the developing world.
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