The Department of Ophthalmology was established as one of the core departments of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals complex, Ile-Ife at the inception of the Teaching Hospital. The Pioneer Ophthalmologist was Dr. (Mrs) Kogbe who worked for 5 years between 1975 and 1979 before she left this institution. However with the return of Dr. Soetan to Nigeria in 1985, full eye care services were recommenced with Dr Soetan as the head of the eye care team. Over the years, the Department has progressively grown. There are six Consultants with 20 senior and junior Resident doctors. The Residency training programme has so far produced at least 23 Consultants and 6 Diplomate Ophthalmologists, many of these are managers of eye care services all across the nation and abroad.

Ophthalmology Department is the main referral centre for ophthalmic care providing primary, secondary and tertiary health care services within Osun metropolis and neighbouring states. The Department offers ophthalmic care to over 5,000 patients annually. It equally provides ambulatory services, consultations to inter-departmental referrals as well as external referrals. Community eye screening and provision of surgical care to patients within and outside the hospital are regularly conducted. Research activities and training are part of the activities for human resource development and clinical advancement.

The department was initially limited by space at inception when there were just 3 bed spaces for male patients at the 14 bedded surgical subspecialty ward and 1 bed space at the female surgical ward. The 2 consulting rooms for outpatient clinic limited the training of resident doctors.

However, in the last 3 years, a spacious, purpose built, dedicated Eye Centre now houses the Department and this has transformed everything about eye care in the teaching hospital. It has 28 bedded wards, 2 amenity wards, 8 consulting rooms and several procedure/investigation rooms with a specialized and well equipped 2-suite Ophthalmic theatre. Furthermore, another one-storey building Ophthalmic complex donated by the Lions Club of Nigeria for research and specialized Ophthalmic care is under construction.

The staff strength of department of Ophthalmology has grown large with at least 6 Consultants, 10 senior registrars and a number of junior residents, 2 Optometrists (one Assistant director and one Senior Optometrist), about 20 nurses of which 6 are assistant directors. With this growth and improvement in infrastructure, since the year 2011, the department has secured full accreditation from the West African College of Surgeons and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to train Resident doctors up to Part II level.

The Department of Ophthalmology and Eye Care centre is situated at Phase 3, Ife Hospital Unit of OAUTHC, Ile-Ife (between the Department of Physiotherapy and the Department of Paediatrics). Ophthalmology services are also situated at Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, Osun State.

To be an internationally-renowned eye institution that specializes in the diagnosis and management of complex medical and surgical eye diseases; and serve as a prominent provider of routine eye care, refractive, optical, cosmetic, and eye trauma services for the Mid-Atlantic region. Also to be a leading centre of excellence in every clinical training and support service.

To be a centre of excellence in ophthalmic care, with a focus to provide skilled care with a sense of dedication and a heart of compassion.

Main functions include:

1. Provision of highly skilled eye care services
2. Training of specialists in the field of Ophthalmology
3. Research in Ophthalmic care and local issues affecting service delivery
4. Community-based activities for blindness prevention

The department should also be recognized as a national leader in research and in the training of medical students, residents, fellows, and ophthalmic technicians, nurses and community health extension workers in eye care. The department has earned recognition for bringing together Ophthalmologists across Osun state and nationally consistently for Scientific Conferences.

Ophthalmology is one of the fastest growing branches of Medicine and Surgery with a lot of advancement in technology and ground breaking researches and scientific revolution over the years. In line with the global trend of sub-specialization in Ophthalmology, the Department currently has Consultant Ophthalmologists with sub-specialty training in Anterior Segment, Glaucoma, Vitreoretina, Paediatric Ophthalmology and Oculoplasty. There is also a Community Outreach team in the Department that organizes free eye consultations, free spectacles and free eye surgeries to the less privileged in the community through the help of esteemed sponsors and volunteers.

CLINICS/ SURGERIES & ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES:

Monday: Tutorials/ General Eye clinic/ Glaucoma and Cataract Services / Theatre Session/ Wet Lab

Tuesday: General Eye clinic/ Anterior segment and Cataract/ Theatre Session/ Wet Lab

Wednesday: Procedure demonstration/ Consultant Ward Round/Departmental Seminars/Academic meetings and Research meetings

Thursday: Theatre Session/ Special Investigations/General Eye clinic

Friday: Vitreo-retinal Clinic/ Oculoplasty/Pediatrics/Refraction Clinic/ Wet-lab

Resident Refraction clinic: Wednesday and Friday

Refractions are routinely done by Optometrists every day.

All Consultants, Resident doctors, Optometrists and Nurses are highly motivated in Community Ophthalmology.

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

A 24hr service, everyday of the week

Resident rounds: everyday at 8.00am

Consultant rounds: Wednesday by 10.00am and everyday for emergency cases

Ophthalmic seminar presentations – Monday – 7.30am, Wednesday– 8.30am

Department of Ophthalmology ground rounds: Wednesday - 1pm

Morbidity and mortality for Ophthalmology Department: last Wednesday of the month by 1pm

Journal club: Wednesday - 8.30am

Routine community eye screening and eye camps every two months.

State and National ophthalmology conferences yearly.

Clinical courses for residents

• Refraction Clinic and Glasses Procurement
• Cataract Surgical procedures and out-reaches
• Glaucoma Clinic / Surgeries and Outreaches
• Specialized Investigations like Ocular ultrasonography
• Biometry with IOL Master and Auto-Refraction, Fundus Photography, NdYag-Laser Capsulotomy
• Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer and Air puff tonometry.
• Vitreoretina and Oculoplasty Clinics and surgical procedures

1. The burden of the problem
   The following ophthalmic conditions, common in Nigeria, if neglected, could lead to blindness:
   1. Cataract: the blindness caused by cataract is reversible; however, the surgical rate and coverage are very low. Cataract is the number one cause of blindness in Nigeria.
   2. Glaucoma: A silent ophthalmic disease associated with abnormal intraocular pressure produces irreversible blindness. It is the number three cause of blindness in Nigeria.
   3. Onchocerciasis: Significant eye sequelae resulting from Onchocerciasis could lead to visual impairment. Onchocerciasis is a major problem in Sub-Saharan Africa and a current challenge in Nigeria though incidence is going down.
   4. Trauma: Currently assuming an epidemic proportion in Nigeria, trauma puts the eye at great risk. It is the number one cause of monocular blindness.
   5. Diabetes Mellitus: A major sequel of diabetes mellitus is diabetic eye disease, therefore, a great risk factor for blindness. Many diabetic patients in Nigeria are not well controlled due to ignorance, poverty and poor drug compliance.
   6. Refractive errors: Most cases of uncorrected refractive error can lead to amblyopia in children and some could be blinding.
2. The capacity for service
   

   There are less than one thousand Ophthalmologists in Nigeria and they are mainly concentrated in the cities and Teaching Hospitals. The paucity of Ophthalmologists is inimical to the universal availability of comprehensive eye care for the general population in Nigeria. More consultants need to be employed to take up specialties like Oculoplastic and reconstructive surgeries and more hands in already developing sub specialties.

   Ophthalmology is an instrument-dependent specialization and ophthalmic instruments are very expensive. The non-availability of certain ophthalmic instruments makes it difficult to provide a comprehensive ophthalmologic care.

3. Challenges to Service delivery
   

   Most Ophthalmic patients tend to present very late, when a significant visual prognosis would be poor. Most of them cannot afford the ophthalmic drugs that they need. Therefore, poverty is a significant factor with adverse effect on drug compliance.

4. Blindness Prevention Strategy:
   

   In view of the local challenges, the Department, through innovative ways, is moving outside the walls of the hospital to the local communities in order to prevent and or reduce blindness. The Department applied a three-pronged approach: Provision of comprehensive eye care services; Training of specialists in Ophthalmology; and research in blindness prevention.

   Regular public health talks are broadcasted on radio and television; also, public walks are organised for creating awareness. Community eye health education and screening services are provided to various organizations, market women and religious groups on a regular basis.

1. Provision of Comprehensive Eye Care
   As part of efforts in the prevention of blindness and actualization of the blindness prevention strategy of World Health Organization (WHO) Vision 2020, the Department is involved in the following:
   1. Ophthalmology Clinics: At these regular eye clinics new cases are attended to, follow-up on old patients, and provision of optical care for cases of refractive error are done.
   2. Ophthalmic Emergencies: Diverse ophthalmic emergencies like road traffic accident victims with eye involvement, ruptured eye balls, corneal lacerations, blunt and penetrating eye injuries and chemical eye injuries are managed.
   3. Surgical session: Daily surgical care for adults and children, ocular emergencies and tri-weekly surgical care for elective ocular cases such as cataract, trabeculectomy and others.
   4. Eye Camp: Community members are screened, and appropriate medical and surgical care given.
2. Training of specialists in Ophthalmology:
   Apart from the provision of specialist eye care, the Department is involved in the training of medical doctors specializing in Ophthalmology (specialist doctors in eye care), other medical personnel in other specialties and paramedical courses.
3. Ophthalmology Research
   The Department conducts specialized research in ophthalmic care geared towards prevention of blindness. Such works published in peer-reviewed journals, include:
   • Research topics on glaucoma, diabetes and cataracts
   • Eye injuries - an Ife experience
   • Community survey of causes of blindness

Other research works can be found at the consultant profile page.

Ophthalmology is one of the most dynamic and rapidly developing specialties in medical and surgical practice. As a result sub-specialization is mandatory and needed for the development of our practice.

Since sight is vital for life, every limitation in eye care will have a direct impact on quality of life. The Department appreciates the management for the provision of a permanent building dedicated for the provision of adequate eye care service to the populace. We use this medium to reach out to government and non- governmental organizations as well as philanthropists for the donation of surgical equipment and sponsorship of regular community ophthalmic services (eye camps). In addition there is a dire need for an increase in the staff strength to enhance the actualization of VISION 2020.

In view of the limited resources that are available to the Ophthalmology Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, we have decided to take a giant step to seek for assistance from well meaning people like you. We are convinced that you are interested in the preservation of vision through the various objectives we have set for ourselves. We cannot transform and expand our service delivery to patients without your financial support and goodwill.

Please contact the Head of Department:
Prof. Adenike O. Adeoye
Professor of Ophthalmology & Head, Anterior Segment Services
Email: adenikenew2001@yahoo.com