After two years of starting a new 4-year optometry programme at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University on Thursday opened up the Academic Vision Centre to facilitate practical lessons for the enrolled students.

Located at the University hospital, the facility is a donation from Australian Government, Light for the world, University of New South Wales based in Australia, and Brien Holden Vision Institute - a global non-profit organisation.

The general public has also been called upon to go for vision check up and treatment at subsidised costs.

According to Dralega Anguyo, the coordinator and lecturer of Optometry at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), Optometry is concerned with vision care ranging from sight testing and correction to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of vision changes.

He said that the first graduands in 2019 will be licensed to practice Optometry, which will primarily involves performing eye exams and vision tests, prescribing and dispensing corrective lenses, detecting certain eye abnormalities, and prescribing medications for certain eye diseases.

While officially opening the centre, the minister of state for primary health sciences and the guest of  honour Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu hailed the NGOs and the Austrialian government for the financial and technical support rendered towards the vision centre.

"In Uganda, currently, we have four known and registered optometrists. we hope that when these students graduate, they will add on the man power to treat the many Ugandans with impaired vision.

"For enrolled students and those joining, you should know that this labotatory you have received is a world class; the training you get from here is the same you would get from any other country in the world.So, use this chance and study hard. As a minister I pledge support of all kind," Kaducu said.

In his speech read by the Principal MakCHS Prof Charles Ibingira, the vice chancellor Prof John Ddumba-Ssentamu asked the Health ministry to give more funds to support the growth of the programme.

"Optometry was officially started in 2014 at Makerere University after Brien Holden Vision Institute introduced the idea to us, ten years ago. We discussed the curriculum and it was approved by National Council for Higher Education and senate [the highest academic decision-making body at Makerere]...Our building [the university hospital] is dilapidated, yet we train for the health sector in the country. Please Hon minister, we need more financial support. "It's a good programme and we are dedicated to producing more professional optometrists for the country," read part of Ddumba Ssentamu's speech.

Anguyo also said that the new facility will also be selling spectacles at a lesser price after diagnosing any one with vision impaired ness.

He also said that every academic year they admit only 20 students for proper management, and the tuition fees is Shs 1.5m. For those planning to join, Biology, Physics and Chemistry should have been passed well at A-level with principle passes.

The students who are already enrolled on optometry say the course is like all the other health disciplines, though the first days into their semester were challenging.

"You know we are the first students in the course at Makerere; we didn't know what exactly the course would entail," said Martin Obbo, who is set to graduate in 2019. He added: "We didn't have other people may be to discuss with as the case is with medicine and surgery. So, it was a bit hard, but now we are used. With this facility, we shall have the best hand-on training."

Dr Naomi Nsubuga, the Brien Holden Vision Institute sub-regional program manager in East Africa, said that they partnered with Makerere University because optometry is one area of concern in the country that needs special training from a recognised institute, adding that about 20 per cent of Ugandans are having various vision problems that need treatment.

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