Aravind Eye Care System and Alcon have announced the launch of the Aravind Alcon Global Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Vitreoretinal Surgery Training in Coimbatore.
The new Centre builds on the success of the Global Cataract Centre of Excellence, established in 2024, and marks the second phase of the Aravind–Alcon partnership. It aims to address one of the most critical gaps in global eye care – the shortage of trained vitreoretinal specialists – by equipping ophthalmologists with advanced retina training.
“While cataract care has scaled effectively, retina care remains limited due to a shortage of trained specialists, particularly across Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia,” Aravind and Alcon said.
By strengthening surgical capability, the Centre also seeks to improve access to quality eye care in underserved regions.
Established within Aravind Eye Care System, the Centre is designed as a global training hub that combines hands-on surgical training with scalable virtual education, focusing on practical surgical capability and long-term capacity building.
The Centre also features a state-of-the-art wet laboratory for vitreoretinal training and will initially train around 60 ophthalmologists each year, while also extending its reach through virtual fellowship programmes.
Speaking on the occasion, Raj Narayanan, senior vice president and president international, Alcon said, “For more than two decades, Alcon and Aravind have partnered to advance surgical education and help strengthen eye care around the world. The inauguration of this new Global Centre of Excellence in Retina marks an important step in our shared commitment to developing the next generation of eye care professionals through world-class training and capability building.”
Dr. Narendran, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind Eye Care Hospital, Coimbatore, said retinal disease is becoming an increasingly common cause of vision loss in India and globally, underscoring the growing need for skilled retinal surgeons.
“The center provides the next generation of ophthalmologists with a structured, hands-on pathway to master complex procedures with precision and confidence,” he said.
Photo: Rajkumar Narayanan, Senior Vice President, President Alcon International inaugurates the Aravind Alcon Global Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Vitreoretinal Surgery.
