Lifetime of service
John Farmer has given a lifetime of service to optometry and helped change the face of eye care in Papua New Guinea – but he didn’t do any of it with awards in mind.
The rewards of helping people over a career spanning almost 40 years was reward enough. Being named in the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) honours list on Australia Day was the icing on the cake.
While many West Gippslanders may have had John stare into their eyes during a consultation, John has achieved significant in-roads in improving access to eye treatment in PNG.
The award citation simply summarises his OAM as being “for service to optometry and to the community.” But the detail in his list of service is extensive, beyond the realms of someone just doing his job.
John began working with Warragul optometrist Geoff Leunig in 1978. After 18 months he joined Geoff in partnership to open Leunig and Farmer Eyecare, now L. & F. Eyecare.
John admits he is “trying” to retire, cutting back to four days a week, which he says is a transition to retirement.
“But I am still enjoying the work, it is still challenging.
John’s involvement in PNG began in 1982. Twelve months earlier Ian Rowse, who was heading up a large mission organisation at the time, approached Leunig and Farmer about providing eye care in PNG.
PNG became a regular trip for John and his colleagues. During the early years John said the focus was on eye care, and giving PNG locals access to glasses.
From p1 But, he said, they soon realised they needed to train local people to do the work so it could be a sustainable program.
Over the years the focus shifted from training eye care nurses to provide clinics in rural areas to training eye surgeons in Port Moresby.
“You don’t start out by thinking we are going to change eye care in PNG, we started by doing clinical visits. Before we knew it, we were starting up an eye care system for the country.
In the early days there were three ophthalmologists and two optometrists for the whole country (population five million).
Now, with a population of seven million, there are 11 active ophthalmologists and 70 mid level people have been trained to deliver eye care services.
“PNG is fortunate that it doesn’t suffer eye disease like other developing countries. The biggest need is glasses and the second biggest is cataracts.
“Both of these are relatively easily fixed with glasses and surgery,” he said.
Aside from the journey and challenges of his PNG work, John continues to enjoy his optometry work and the growing focus on eye health.
“Eye care has changed in the time I’ve been practicing. We do eye screening for disease… not just the provision of glasses.
“Now we basically do all non-surgical treatments.
“Some of the new technology is amazing. We can do an MRI of the retina which is phenomenal.
“It is a lot more medical based now, not just administering glasses,” he said.
John’s extensive service and achievements list includes: developing Log MAR letter charts for clinical use; co-developer of Optomate practice management software now used all around Australia; developed a zoom ophthalmoscope (and awarded a US patent); senior clinical instructor at Melbourne University; mentor to optometry students working with indigenous communities; PNG education manager and head of eye care department; initiated, developed and conducted the 10 week eye nurse training courses in PNG; and undertakes twice yearly visits to teach ophthalmology trainees at Port Moresby General Hospital and the University of Papua New Guinea.
John also has received a number of industry and community awards including a Paul Harris Fellow by Drouin Rotary in 2000.
Despite the long list of credits to his name, John was humbled by the recognition of his work.
“It’s nice because it recognises what’s been done. But it also recognises the work of all the people who have been a part of it with me.
“My wife has lived there (PNG) and supported me in helping me with course structures and the staff at L&F have always been so supportive of my trips.
“And most importantly all the people in PNG, the national ophthalmologists, nurses and doctors who work extremely hard in difficult circumstances,” John said.