Key Takeaways

• The Aravind Alcon Global Centre of Excellence for Vitreoretinal Surgery Training has opened in Coimbatore, India, marking the second phase of the organizations' education partnership following the 2024 launch of a cataract training center
• The facility combines hands-on vitreoretinal surgical training, a dedicated wet laboratory, and virtual fellowship programs, with an initial capacity of approximately 60 trainees per year.
• The initiative is intended to help address the global shortage of retina specialists, particularly in underserved regions across Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia, by expanding access to advanced surgical education

Aravind Eye Care System and Alcon have launched the Aravind Alcon Global Centre of Excellence for Vitreoretinal Surgery Training in Coimbatore, India, expanding their collaboration to address the global shortage of retina specialists through advanced surgical education.

The new center represents the second phase of the organizations' partnership, following the launch of the Global Cataract Centre of Excellence in 2024. While cataract surgery training has expanded significantly in recent years, access to vitreoretinal care remains limited in many regions because of a shortage of trained specialists, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia.

Located within Aravind Eye Care System, the vitreoretinal center is designed as a global training hub that combines hands-on surgical instruction with scalable virtual education. The initiative aims to strengthen ophthalmologists' surgical capabilities while supporting long-term capacity building in regions where access to retina care remains limited.

The facility includes a dedicated wet laboratory for vitreoretinal surgical training and is expected to train approximately 60 participants annually. In addition to in-person instruction, the center will extend its educational reach through virtual fellowship programs.

"For more than two decades, Alcon and Aravind have partnered to advance surgical education and help strengthen eye care around the world," said Raj Narayanan, senior vice president and president international at Alcon. "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. We are proud to continue a partnership that is helping improve patient outcomes and expand access to high-quality eye care globally."

"At Aravind Eye Care System, training has been central to our mission of eliminating needless blindness from the beginning," said Dr. Narendran, chief medical officer of Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore. "For more than two decades, our partnership with Alcon has helped us translate this commitment into world-class surgical education. We are proud that Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, is now home to India's first Global Center of Excellence in Retina."

He added that the center provides ophthalmologists with a structured, hands-on pathway to develop proficiency in advanced retinal surgery while supporting broader efforts to improve patient outcomes and expand access to quality eye care.