Technicians pose as qualified eye doctors, operate clinics in Miryalaguda

Hyderabad: Nearly a month after the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) exposed five eye technicians posing as qualified ophthalmologists in Miryalaguda, police have arrested the accused and registered six FIRs.The action follows complaints filed by the council in Jan after inspection teams uncovered a network of clinics operating under the names of registered specialists who were actually practising in Hyderabad and Vijayawada.
TGMC teams inspected seven centres in Miryalaguda — Sri Venkateswara Eye Hospital, Sri Mahalakshmi Eye Hospital, Annapurna Netralayam, Yashasvi Eye Hospital, Shalini Eye Clinic, Rapha Vision Care Centre and Shiva Sai Eye Hospital."Each of these facilities prominently displayed the name of a registered ophthalmologist. But during our visits, no such doctors were present. Instead, technicians holding diplomas in ophthalmic assistance were consulting patients," said Dr Vijay Kumar of the TGMC.Inspectors found that the technicians were issuing prescriptions using the prefix "Dr", stocking allopathic medicines without authorisation, and even preparing surgical referrals, all of which are legally restricted to registered medical practitioners.In a separate case, an individual was found running Komala Medical Shop as an unauthorised treatment facility where injections were administered. Used syringes were discovered discarded in the open, raising serious public health concerns.The consequences, officials say, have already been severe. "In one case, a patient reportedly lost vision in both eyes after being treated by these unqualified technicians. In another instance, a patient was advised surgery on both eyes. When he sought a second opinion from a qualified ophthalmologist, he was told only one eye required treatment," said Dr G Srinivas of the TGMC. He urged the district medical and health officer (DM&HO) to conduct regular inspections, seize such centres, and share reports with the council.Miryalaguda police spent nearly a month gathering documentary evidence, recording patient statements, and even sending decoy patients to build a strong case. The five arrested technicians have been identified as Gaddam Nagaraju, Shiva Koteshwar Rao, P Vikas Kumar, Pammi Venkatesh and Srinu.The TGMC has also issued notices to five ophthalmologists — Dr Sreekumar, Dr Prabhu Chaitanya, Dr Amar, Dr Basheer and Dr Rama Seshayya — whose names were displayed at the clinics, seeking their explanations.