Eye Health Hero: Pawan Baral

Pawan is the Research and Academic Coordinator at Himalaya Eye Hospital (HEH) and Himalaya Eye Institute, Nepal. Himalaya Eye Institute is the joint constituent programme of Pokhara University and established to train Bachelor and Master of Optometry candidates. Pawan is responsible to facilitate all research activities of the institute while also coordinating the bachelor and master of optometry programmes within the institute and Pokhara University.

In less than 2 years of his attachment with HEH Pawan has completed drafting the operating guidelines for clinical, outreach, administrative and academic programmes of the institute. He has supported in publication of 7 research papers in peer reviewed journals. He has also drafted research and eye health project proposals and submitted to the provincial government. With his skills we are very hopeful we will be receiving a continuing support from the government. Pawan also teaches Research methodology, Community Eye Health and Project Management and Introduction to Public Health in bachelor and master programmes. Pawan believes in ingraining the knowledge of public health in budding eye health practitioners such that they will be exemplary advocates for the universal access to eye care.

Pawan is a Public Health Optometrist with summa cum laude in Master of Public Health. He brings with him an extensive public health work experience in the Asia Pacific region. Pawan’s interests go far beyond his academic training and encompass an understanding of public health problems, especially in eye care within communities of underserved populations. In his association with the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand he applied his optometry and public health skills in training local nurses to be eye nurse specialists and medical doctors to be ophthalmologists. These eye care professionals were able to provide primary eye care services to communities that severely lacked human resources to provide those services. With the knowledge and advocacy skills he was better able to advocate for the registration of these eye nurse specialists and integrate primary eye care into the mainstream primary health care of the Pacific Island nations.

It is our experience that we can train and educate future clinicians and researchers, however, those that will provide the most benefit to our society are those that exhibit curiosity and a passion for serving others. Pawan has exceeded our expectations of performance and continues to exhibit skills as a self-starter and innovator. We have already seen his caliber and the charm, interest, energy and motivation he brings in workplace.

Based on these factors, we recommend Pawan Baral to be the Eye Health Hero 2021 as Change-Maker without any reservations.

“I am very passionate about creating an impact in the society. I have been lucky to have followed my passion and been able to add one step in the journey to provide universal access to eye care to the broader society we call our world.”

– Pawan Baral