Location
| The Department is domiciled at the Guinness Eye Centre, Onitsha, Anambra State: a regional centre of excellence for ophthalmic care in south-eastern Nigeria. |
History
Ophthalmology at Nnamdi Azikiwe University began as a unit within the Department of Surgery, led by Dr S.N.N. Nwosu. Following the ceding of the Guinness Eye Hospital, Onitsha, by the Anambra State Government in 1991, clinical and academic activities relocated to Onitsha, though ophthalmic services continued at the Teaching Hospital main campus in Nnewi.
A full Department of Ophthalmology was established in 1999, under Dr L.O. Onyekwe, and the Department has been based at the Guinness Eye Centre, Onitsha, ever since. Undergraduate ophthalmic training has been conducted consistently since 1993, using a curriculum designed within the Department and approved by both the NUC and the MDCN.
Postgraduate Training and Professional Accreditation
The Department operates a fully accredited postgraduate residency training programme, approved by both the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons. To date, the Department has produced 25 ophthalmologists who practise as consultants and academic faculty at institutions across Nigeria. Five of these graduates now serve as academic staff within the Department itself. Plans are in place to introduce postgraduate degree programmes leading to the award of MSc, MPhil and PhD in Ophthalmology.
Subspecialties
- Diseases of the Vitreous and Retina
- Cornea and Anterior Segment
- Glaucoma
- Neuro-Ophthalmology
- Oculoplastics
- Paediatric Ophthalmology
- Community Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Epidemiology
Community Eye Care
Reflecting its commitment to equitable health access, the Department regularly conducts free eye screening and treatment exercises in communities across Anambra State. Since 2011, the Department has provided specialist clinical support and manpower to the VISION 2020 Eye Clinic at Ukpor, Nnewi-South Local Government Area (a facility established through cooperation between Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the Nnewi-South Local Government Council), extending quality specialist eye care to rural and underserved populations on a sustained basis.