About the Department

With the noble objective of unconditional service, the Department of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat (EENT) of the Philippine General Hospital was established in May 1911, spearheaded by Dr. Reinhart Rembe. Because the fulfillment of its mission largely depended on honing the expertise and commitment of young blood, the department was opened to resident physician and interns. The young men and women of what was then the Philippine Medical School (now the University of the Philippines College of Medicine) had to undergo a month of comprehensive training as both an initiation and orientation into the department.

To expand its scope of service the EENT Department was divided into two: the Section of Ophthalmology and Section of Otorhinolaryngology. On November 9, 1961, the UP Board of Regents approved the creation of the Department of Ophthalmology with Dr. Geminiano T. de Ocampo as head of the department. In February 1998, the department came to be known as the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, by virtue of a resolution approved by the UP Board of Regents.

Throughout the years, the department has produced several graduates, who have been providing the Filipino people with best ophthalmologic care. It also prides itself in producing excellent and world-class graduates who are the current and future leaders in Philippine Ophthalmology.

Under the leadership of its current department chair, Dr. Manuel B. Agulto, the department has seen itself being able to leap into the

st21 century by providing world-class eye care to the Filipino patient. With the creation and the transfer of the department to the

Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal, there is now a modern facility that will answer the needs of both charity and private patients. The Sentro, a contemporary eye center equipped with the latest diagnostic equipment and surgical instruments, full augments the Department's roles in providing quality and affordable eye care to our countrymen and facilitating the training of Filipino ophthalmologists. The Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal now serves as the pioneering unit in realizing the PGH's vision of becoming a

stworld class facility for the 21 century.

About the Sentro

The BeginningIn 1999 the “Construction and Creation of a National Eye Referral Center (CCNERC) in the Philippines Project” was conceptualised to help achieve the national goal of decreasing the incidence of reversible blindness, particularly in the poor areas and the underserved regions, in the Philippines.

The AgreementThe first step in turning the dream into reality was made on February 2000 when a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the University of the Philippines (UP), and Spain, through the Agencia Española de Cooperacion International (AECI) was signed.

The Bilateral ProjectThe Spanish government reconfirmed its desire to help the Philippine Health Sector on July 3, 2001 during the 4th Joint Commission held in Spain. And following this bilateral project, the Spanish government made a grant amounting to US$7M to construct an eye center, to equip it with state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment and to train Filipino ophthalmologists either locally or abroad. Conversely, a parcel of land, where the center is now standing, and the incomparable workforce of the UP-PGH to man and operate the eye center were committed by the Philippine government.

The FacilitiesThe modern SENTRO houses, among other facilities, the Out P a t i e n t D e p a r t m e n t , S u b S p e c i a l t y c l i n i c s , Diagnostics/Treatment, Eye Instrument Center (EIC), Sta. Lucia Eye Bank, Lecture & Conference Hall, Service and Pay Wards, O.R. Complex and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS) of the UP-PGH.

OurSubspecialtiesCataract and Refractive SurgeryDeals with cataract operations using modern techniques. Complicated cataracts are likewise done by the service.

CorneaTakes care of patients with various non-infectious corneal diseases such as scars, dystrophies , and trauma. Medical and surgical management of patients are done, ranging from corneal repairs, corneal transplants and out-patient laser procedures for refractive problems. Refractive laser facilities will be added later.

Contact LensHandles cases of errors of refraction needing correction with contact lenses. It also offers cosmetic contact lens fitting and handles cases with contact lens complications.

External DiseaseDeals with disease conditions of the anterior segment and ocular adnexae with emphasis on infections and inflammatory diseases. The service carries out medical and surgical treatments of disease conditions and manages toxicity disorders and systemic or metabolic disturbances with external eye involvement.

GlaucomaProvides a comprehensive and detailed examination of patients suspected to have a glaucoma, ocular hypertension, open angle glaucoma or angle closure glaucoma. Medical and surgical management in the form or laser surgery or incisional surgery is done by the service.

Low Vision ServiceProvides an assessment of the ability of the patients to use their remaining functional vision by employing optical, non-optical, and non-visual devices in the evaluation of its patients. The service determines the level of adjustment of patients to the disability caused by their eye diseases.

Neuro-OphthalmologyDedicates itself to the diagnostic and therapeutic management of neuro-ophthalmic cases.

Ophthalmic PathologyPerforms routine diagnostics, special procedures, investigative and/or experimental ocular pathology.

OrbitResponsible for dealing with patients exhibiting clinical manifestations of abnormalities behind the globe and are managed appropriately by medical or surgical intervention.

Pediatric Ophthalmology and StrabismusInvolved in treating ocular diseases mostly in the pediatric age group, most common of which are pediatric cataracts.Strabismus cases of all ages arte likewise seen by the service. This service has been designated as WHO Regional Center of Pediatric Ophthalmology.

Plastic and LacrimalAttends to patients with eyelids and orbital socket problems such as benign and malignant eyelid tumors, eyelid malpositions, blepharoptosis, retractions, eyelid developmental problems, blepharospasm/hemifacial spasm, lacrimal drainage problems and conjunctival contractive problems. The service carries out medical and surgical management, ranging from excisions to total eyelid reconstruction with grafts and flaps.

UveitisDeals with all type of non-purulent intraocular inflammation involving the uveal tract and/or the retina. Patients are managed accordingly, either by medical or surgical means.

Vitreo-RetinaDeals with diseases of the vitreous and retina, most commonly diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinal detachment and macular holes.

Retinoblastoma and Ocular OncologyDeals with ocular neoplastic disorders most commonly retinoblastoma. The service also offers a multidisciplinary approach to cancer management in coordination with other subspecialties

Preventive OphthalmologyOffer a diploma course in Preventive Ophthalmology

About the Sentro

· 5 storey, 4938 sq. m. fully airconditionedstate-of-the-art ophthalmology specialty building

In-patient Facilities

· 38-bed capacity Charity Ward

· 5 Private Suites

Out-patient Facilities

· Daily out-patient comprehensive ophthalmologic & subspecialty clinics

Operating Rooms

· 5 state-of-the-art operating suites equipped with laminar flow, HEPA flow, and antibacterial paint and tiles

· Most advanced and up-to-date ophthalmologic equipment

· Staffed by experienced ophthalmologic surgical nurses

· Daily minor surgeries at the minor operating room at the Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal

· Elective operations done at 4 Ophthalmology operating rooms at the Left Central Block and 1 Major Operating room at the Out-Patient Building (5 Major operating rooms at the Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal)

Diagnostic and Laser Treatment Facilities

· fluorescein angiogram

· ocular ultrasound

· biometry

· fundus photo

· argon laser

· Nd-Yag laser

· automated visual field

· optical conerence tomography

· ultrasound biomicroscope

· specular microscope

The Eye BankThe Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines (EBFP), established on October 16, 1995, is a non-profit, non-government, humanitarian organization that owns and operates a medical eye bank named the Santa Lucia International Eye Bank of Manila (SLIEB). The SLIEB is the first and only state-of-the-art eye banking facility in the country dedicated to the collection, processing, evaluation, storage and equitable distribution of quality corneal/ eye tissues for transplant, research and education. It is committed to its mission of bringing the gift of sight to corneally blind individuals through corneal transplants, regardless of age, gender, race, religion or financial status. Part of its humanitarian effort of bringing sight to corneally blind individuals is the free distribution of quality corneas to charity patients who cannot afford the cost of securing quality eye tissues and the ancillary cost of conducting the surgery.

Eye Instrument CenterThe Eye Instrument Center of the second floor of the Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal houses the specialized ophthalmologic machines such as the Nd:Yag Laser, Argon Laser, Ocular ultrasound machine, fundus photo and fluorescein angiography machine, the visual field analyzer and biometry machine.

Ocular Microbiology and Ocular Pathology LaboratoryBoth laboratories are located at the Institute of Ophthalmology, on the second floor of the PGH Central Block behind Ward 12. These are specialized laboratories of their kinds, focusing on purely ocular disease conditions. Referrals from other institutions are accepted by these units.

SpecialAreas

FacilitiesOur

Argon Laser

Flourescein Angiogram

Nd-Yag Laser

UltrasoundBiomicroscopy

Optical ConerenceTomography

Eye Instrument Center

Private Suite

Operating Suite