Certified Ophthalmic Paramedic (COP) Program
Women’s Empowerment
The shortage of eye care technicians is a major obstacle in fighting blindness in low-income countries.
It’s an urgent problem, especially given that 90% of the world’s visually impaired people live in low- and middle-income countries.
That’s why Combat Blindness International provides training stipends for young women to become eye care technicians through the Certified Ophthalmic Paramedic (COP) Program at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in New Delhi, India.
These women fulfill many roles, including ophthalmic nursing assistants, vision technicians, medical record administrators, and patient counselors, reducing the strain on ophthalmologists so they can focus on sight-restoring procedures and surgeries.
Through this innovative program, CBI empowers young women with skills, employment, independence, and confidence.
The COP women now account for 80% of the hospital’s workforce.
COP Fellowship Program
The COP Fellowship Programs allows promising students the opportunity to train for an additional 1-2 years in fields such as administration, patient counseling, clinical care, or surgical care, fostering career advancement opportunities as many fellows progress to become trainers, unit managers, and supervisors. Additionally, many continue to pursue advanced degrees such as nursing and optometry.