Postgraduate Diploma in Eye Care
Program structure
The PGDEC is suitable for a motivated nurse, health extension officer or community health worker (with a minimum of one year’s work experience) who wishes to provide specialised eye care services, and who has the support of their employer.
The PGDEC is a one-year, full time programme. Its curriculum is based on World Health Organisation recommendations and is designed to ensure graduates have appropriate clinical skills and knowledge to provide high quality eye care services in PNG. It is based on the type of work PNG’s eye care personnel are required to perform, with the equipment they have available, and in the circumstances and health systems in which they are required to perform it.
The competencies to be developed by the students during this course can be grouped in two strands: Clinical and Promotive.
Units within the Clinical strand focus on eye care for individual patients presenting to the eye care provider with eye problems.
YEAR 1 (semester 1)
Essential Eye Care |
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Refraction |
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Operating theatre |
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HE460 |
Professional competencies I |
YEAR 1 (semester 2)
| Community Eye Care | |
| Eye Health Promotion | |
| Management for Quality Eye Care | |
| Professional competencies II | |
| Clinical Rotation |
Essential Eye Care (HE451) - Diagnose and manage common eye conditions
Applied ocular anatomy and physiology, ophthalmic history taking, examination and performing diagnostic tests are covered during the Essential Eye Care module.
Refraction (HE452) - Provide refraction services
Presbyopic, spherical and astigmatic correction determination and appropriate prescribing and dispensing of spectacles are covered in the Refraction module
Operating Theatre (HE453) - Provide ophthalmic operating theatre assistance
Handling, care and maintenance of surgical instruments and equipment, infection control, operating
theatre protocol are covered in the Operating Theatre module
The Promotive strand comprises units that are concerned with providing eye care beyond the individual patient, specifically promotive and preventive eye care.
Community Eye Care (HE454) - Provide community eye care
School and community screening, blindness prevention programs based on population and primary health concepts and Vision 2020
Eye Health Promotion (HE455) - Plan, initiate and evaluate health promotion activities
Information, education, communication for prevention and eye care promotion
Management for Quality Eye Care (HE456) - Plan and manage an eye care clinic and outreach programs
Monitoring and evaluation, inventory, finances and human resources
(Clinical Rotation - HE461) - In addition to patient-centred clinical care and promotive courses, a large portion of the course is practical (Clinical Rotation - HE461), with students examining patients under supervision or applying knowledge by conducting practical assignments at the Modilon General Hospital Eye Unit.
Presentation software skills (HE460) - The PGDEC also requires the achievement of complimentary professional competencies in Information Technology - Word Processing, Spreadsheet skills, Presentation software skills (HE460).
The satisfactory completion of the eight (8) units as well as supervised clinical practice is required for graduation.
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Entry requirements
• A nursing or health extension qualification permitting registration in Papua New Guinea
AND
• Minimum of 1 year work experience in a health related field
AND
• Matriculation up to grade 12 is also required
Special Entry may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for those who do not satisfy the above requirements for admission to the Postgraduate Diploma program.
Graduates must be committed to at least two years of eye care service delivery following graduation, and be prepared to undergo activity and outcome surveillance during that time. They are also encouraged to participate in continuing education, to maintain and improve their skills and knowledge.
An important condition of acceptance is that the employer of the applicant must provide an assurance in writing that the graduate will be facilitated to provide eye care in Papua New Guinea, preferably in the public sector, for a period equivalent to the length of training undertaken.
The course was designed by The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, which coordinates a large, multi-year eye health program with its partners in PNG, focusing on training eye care workers and equipping eye clinics to prevent and treat blindness. FHFNZ and its local partner FHF-PNG manage the eye clinic at Modilon General Hospital where the clinical components of the course take place. Some candidates may be considered for a scholarship from FHFNZ, which covers tuition and certain other DWU related expenses.
More information
For more information, please email
Benoit Tousignant, OD MSc MPH
Head of Department, Eye Care
Faculty of Health Sciences
Email: btousignant@dwu.ac.pg
Tel: (675) 424.1834 or (675) 422-2919
Fax: (675) 422-0616
To download an application, please click here: Application Form 2011
