Chandra J1

1Penrith Ophthalmology And Psychiatry Centre

Biography:

Dr Jay Chandra AM is an Australian ophthalmologist renowned for his work in vitreoretinal surgery. Trained under Fred Hollows at Sydney Eye Hospital, he later established the vitreoretinal surgical unit at Westmead Hospital in 1985. Over 35 years, he treated thousands of patients and trained many specialists. He founded the Fiji Eye Project, providing free eye surgery in the Pacific and India. Recognised with the Order of Australia (AM) in 2016, Dr Chandra continues private practice in Penrith, focusing on sight restoration and humanitarian eye care.

Abstract:

The Fiji Eye Project, initiated in 2006 at Ba Mission Hospital, Fiji, aims to restore sight and reduce preventable blindness caused by cataracts in underprivileged communities. Led by Dr Jay Chandra and colleagues, the program provides free cataract and ophthalmic surgeries while training local ophthalmologists to sustain long-term eye care services. Using small-incision cataract surgery (SICS) and donated consumables, over 120 adult and paediatric operations were performed in 2019, achieving <2% complication rates and significant visual improvement. The project’s outcomes align with WHO standards and highlight a scalable, sustainable model for ophthalmic outreach in low-resource island nations.