Bulletin Spring‧Summer Autumn‧Winter 1999

independent entity. As the major eye referral centre for the New Territories, the department is located on the seventh floor of the old Nursing Quarters of the Prince of Wales Hospital. Another independent eye clinic has also been established at Quee n Ma ry Hospital. The team there has started in-patient consultations, accepting referrals f r om the casualty ward, and providing traumatology services for the western half of Hong Kong Island. As the three sub-units of the new department are located i n d i f f e r ent pa r ts of the territory, an intricate communication system has been designed to facilitate speedy and effective exchange of information. Faculty and staff can communicate by telephone, fax, or E-mail. Four Types of Educational Programmes The n ew d e p a r t me n t a t t emp ts to o f f er educational programmes at four levels. First, a new and revised c u r r i c u l um on primary eye care has been proposed for medical students of both universities. Medical students w i l l not only have the opportunity to treat eye patients and watch eye operations first hand, but w i l l also be us i ng new high-tech video learning aid to increase their understanding of primary eye care. Secondly, the depa r t men t w i l l r e v i ew courses for p r ima ry eye care physicians i n the territory so that they can improve ophthalmic care for the local community. The department w i l l also develop a comprehensive training programme for government medical officers i n training. Lastly, the department w i l l develop public educational programmes so that the general public w i l l l eam more about preventive eye care. Research Activities i n the Pipeline The UPGC has agreed to f und an additional floor at the Ho ng Kong Eye Hospital to house the research laboratories of the new department. The project w i l l be completed i n two stages and cost HK$17.8 million. Construction wo rk began on 29th July 1994 and w i l l be completed by mi d - Ap r i l 1995. I n the meantime much effort is being spent on research planning. Groundwork is being laid for five research laboratories to be built: the o p h t h a l m ic b i o c h em i s t ry l abo r a t o r y , the ophthalmic molecular biology laboratory, the ophthalmic pathology laboratory, the clinical and ep i demic research laboratory, and the ophthalmic education laboratory. Equipment f o r each l abo r a t o ry is be i ng p l anned and budgeted and space allocation being arranged. As the eye is a highly specialized organ w i t h great sensitivity, intensive research i n to its biochemistry, molecular biology, pathology, and electrophysiology is necessary to advance the understanding of eye diseases. The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences hopes to attract scientists w i t h special expertise and interest i n the field to Hong Kong to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research o ce the laboratories are ready for use. New Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences 9