Politicians and healthcare policymakers have been given an insight into the valuable work of Australia’s eyecare professionals.
The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) hosted its inaugural Eye Surgery Showcase at Australian Parliament House in Canberra on 14 August.
Politicians and policymakers ‘tried their hand’ at complex eye surgery and learned how ophthalmologists and the medical technology industry are working together to save the sight of Australians.
The event was opened and closed by the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Eye Health Group, Hon Dr David Gillespie MP and Ms Meryl Swanson MP.
Medical technology firms Alcon, Device Technologies, Glaukos, Johnson and Johnson, and ZEISS brought the tech as local Canberra ophthalmologists helped give participants a better idea of what they do and how they improve the vision for all.
ASO President Dr Peter Sumich said the rate of unaddressed and treatable blindness would continue to increase in Australia if something did not change.
“By bringing global leaders in medical technology and local Canberra-based eye surgeons together at Parliament House, we are taking a ‘hands on’ ‘experience it yourself’ approach to educating our elected representatives and healthcare policymakers on what is at stake,” Dr Sumich said.
“Australian eye surgeons and our medical technology industry are among the best in the world, yet our community eye health statistics are alarming for a first-world country.”
The ASO is aiming to increase understanding of the prevalence and surgical treatment of eye disease, awareness of the critical role of ophthalmologist in access to world-class eye health technology and surgical treatments, and appreciation of the innovative surgical technologies used in the prevention of blindness in Australia.
“If we can achieve this, we can work collaboratively with government on strategies and principles for the delivery of eye services to rural, remote, and Indigenous communities as well as improved access within the public sector to ophthalmology services,” Dr Sumich said.
Currently in Australia, the private health sector delivers the majority of ophthalmology services.
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