A day in the life of a program officer

India Program Officer trains vision technicians through Operation Eyesight
Written by Sharon Panackal, Digital Marketing Specialist, published on July 29, 2019 Give the Gift of Sight

For Vineela Cherukuri, her position as a Program Officer with Operation Eyesight in India is not just a career she had dreamed of, but also an opportunity to create lasting changes in the lives of thousands of people!

Vineela joined our family in August 2018, after working for two years as a clinical optometrist at the L V Prasad Eye Institute. “My time there motivated me to join an organization that provides quality care for the people who need it most,” she says.

Vineela’s day at the office begins at 9:30 a.m. She starts by going through her weekly plans, preparing her to-do list and tackling her most urgent tasks. These often include following up on the progress of our partner hospitals and coordinating training for vision technicians, optometrists and ophthalmic assistants. Lunch is at 1 p.m., after which she’s busy with project and training reports. She wraps up at 5:30 p.m. with a final report to her manager and discussion about tomorrow’s important tasks.

But that’s not all. With her expertise in clinical optometry, Vineela trains optometrists, technicians and final-year optometry students, visiting one or two of our partner hospitals every month.

During these trips, she also monitors our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Projects. She visits vision centres, talks with the staff and patients, checks patient records and addresses any areas for improvement. “I get to see the changes we bring into people’s lives. That’s what I like about my job the most!” says Vineela.

“My interests are in clinics and teaching,” she continues. “Operation Eyesight’s unique approach in reaching the underprivileged motivated me to apply for this position. Now I am very happy to be a part of this family and to serve the neediest!”

Program Officer at Operation Eyesight partner hospital trains vision technicians to use  equipment
Vineela provides training in using a lensometer (used to determine the prescription for a pair of eyeglasses) for vision technicians at the Sundarban Social Development Centre Eye Hospital in West Bengal.

Your big-hearted gifts are making it possible to transform communities through people like Vineela. By donating today, you can help provide vulnerable communities in Africa and Asia with the quality eye care they need – For All The World To See!