MBE for eye doctor educated at threatened Chillerton Primary

Ian Murdoch, who started life in Chillerton and has gone on to become a professor in eye medicine at the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, was made an MBE in the New Year honours.

He was one of three Islanders to receive a gong at the turn of the year.

And showing how life in a tiny village school can lead to much bigger things, Ian began his education at the now threatened Chillerton Primary.

Indeed, he was nominated for the honour by Tim Marshall, the son of his first headmaster, Rob Marshall

And then as now, his mother Lyn, who still lives in the village, told the County Press: "Us sending him to the school possibly saved it from closure back in 1962.

"Rob Marshall asked us to allow him to go at the age of four, as the numbers were tight to keep it open.

"We thought he was too young, having just turned four, but Rob said there was a bed where he could have a little nap if he got too tired.

"Ian always had an interest in the human body. I recall him sitting on my knee, looking at my tiny wrists and enquiring about my blood vessels."

From the village school, Ian went on to Carisbrooke Grammar and latterly Carisbrooke High School, when the comprehensive system was introduced.

After a pharmacology and basic medical sciences degree at the University of Central London, he went to Westminster Medical School in London.

From there he has completed numerous other qualifications, not least at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Much of his working life has been at Moorfields.

He and his wife, Michelle, spent two years at Kaduna (North-West Nigeria), where they set up clinics in the bush, supervising and monitoring the effects of the bite of the worm which was causing river blindness in the population.

Years of travelling to Africa resulted in research into the disease which is still ongoing.

Ian raises money by lecturing at home and overseas on his specialist field, glaucoma.

This has raised substantial amount of money towards the establishment of the eye unit in the Korle Bu teaching hospital in Accra, Ghana.

Ian Murdoch training the trainers at the Korle Bu Training Hospital in Ghana.

In 2015 he led a team of 18 medical personnel from Moorfields to the hospital to train trainers and other eye specialists.

Although semi retired now, he still takes an active interest in the African situation and continues private practice at home.

Ian now lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife, with whom he has two grown up sons, Calum, also a doctor, and Miles, a businessman.

He told the CP, "I see this honour as not being for me but for the project which has seen great strides made in the treatment of this terrible disease.

"Training the trainers is definitely the way to go and the work we have done there has helped greatly."

Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

He is rightly proud of the establishment of the Ghanaian facility.

He said "The establishment of the Lions International Eye Centre at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital created for the first time the means to provide surgical training for ophthalmologists within the region.

"The training concept is designed to provide learning in two parts.

"The first provides the knowledge and understanding of the particular disease group via online resources.

"The second gives operative skills in intensive short bursts, ensuring local surgeons are absent from their place of work for limited periods, typically one to two weeks."

But what was the motivation of Tim Marshall to put Ian forward for the honour?

Tim said: "The fact my father taught this world renowned doctor in our little village school meant I was keen to nominate him.

"To have some one of his standing as an ex Chillertonian is amazing."