TGMC busts major eye care racket in Miryalaguda; Unqualified technicians caught performing surgeries
The Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) has uncovered serious violations in eight private eye clinics in Miryalaguda, where unqualified ophthalmic technicians were found performing surgeries and prescribing medicines without supervision.
Hyderabad: Exposing a dangerous lack of regulation of private eye clinics by the health department, Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) inspections in Miryalaguda revealed ophthalmic technicians performing surgeries and diagnostics in the absence of qualified specialists, who were found to be practicing in Hyderabad.
TGMC inspections in eight private eye care facilities in Miryalaguda found them to be registered with district health authorities but not a single one had an on-site qualified specialist. The Council filed FIRs against these facilities, and police arrested five ophthalmic technicians.
The inspections were carried out at Sri Venkateswara (SV) Eye Hospital, Sri Mahalakshmi Eye Hospital, Annapurna Netralayam, Yashasvi Eye Hospital, Shalini Eye Clinic, Rapha Vision Care Center, and Shiva Sai Eye Hospital.
According to the TGMC, these hospitals obtained permissions from the District Registration Authority by using the names of legitimate ophthalmologists. However, they were actually being operated by optometry and ophthalmology technicians.
These unqualified individuals were found to be deceiving the public by prescribing medications beyond their legal scope, conducting advanced diagnostic tests, and in some instances, even performing surgical procedures.
The qualified doctors under whose names the permissions were granted were found to be practicing in cities.
The Council announced that criminal cases under the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration (TMPR) Acts will be filed against technicians Nagesh, Walke Srinu, Nagaraju, Shiva Koteshwar Rao, Venkatesh, and Vikas Kumar, as well as the fake practitioner A. Koteshwar Rao.
Dr. V. Naresh Kumar, Chairman of the TGMC Public Relations Committee, said show-cause notices are being issued to the involved doctors, including Dr. Srikumar, Dr. Prabhu Chaitanya, Dr. M. Bharat Bhushan, and Dr. K. Venkateswarlu, requiring them to appear before the Medical Ethics and Malpractices Committee.
If their explanations are found unsatisfactory, the Council intends to recommend the suspension of their medical licences and will urge the District Collector to take further administrative action against the errant hospitals.
The inspections were carried out by council members Dr. V. Naresh Kumar, Dr. K. Ravi Kumar, Dr. J. Srikanth Varma, and Vigilance Officer M. Rakesh, under the guidance of TGMC Chairman Dr. K. Mahesh Kumar.
