Dr.Konyama's contribution to the world
It is with my deepest condolence to inform you that Prof. Kazuichi Konyama, the leader in prevention of blindness in our Southeast Asian region, has passed away on June 21, 2016, in Tokyo, Japan, his homeland.
Dr. Konyama, although born in Japan, spent his teenage years in Thailand. He attended high school and got his medical degree in Bangkok before went back to complete his training in ophthalmology at Juntendo University in Tokyo.
Although he could have his bright career as an attending staff in Department of Ophthalmology at Jutendo, he chose to come back to Thailand to develop prevention of blindness programs, started in rural areas of the northeastern part of the country. At the time, although residency training programs in ophthalmology was established, hardly anyone knew about public health in ophthalmology in Thailand or in other parts of the world.
Dr. Konyama tirelessly contributed to countless projects of prevention of blindness in Thailand and in various countries in Asia. His most important role, except from being a consultant to WHO, probably be the role of a mentor who led ophthalmic personnel in Asia-Pacific region to realize that, no matter how smart we are, we cannot solve the problem of blindness as an individual. We need to get together, have more co-workers, and solve this problem as teams or networks.
With workshops and seminars for international ophthalmic attendees, Dr. Konyama effectively produced hundreds of followers from his classes. His students passionately conducted their own projects of prevention of blindness in their home countries and this had kept on growing.
His training course "Korat Course" in "Institute of Public Health in Ophthalmology" in Nakorn Ratchasima province, northeast of Thailand, is the world-famous and he trained in this course until his age was more than 70. He would continue to teach if his health was not deteriorated by his age.
I believe his students will follow his footsteps; there will be more and more of his students and students. His passionate legacy will live on.
May his soul rest in peace.
Paisan Ruamviboonsuk, MD.
President
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists of Thailand