Department of Opthalmology

The depatment was started in the year 1956. Dr. R. Surya Prasada Rao, organised the department in its inception. Dr.V.Raghvachary took over in the year 1957 and largelyresponsible for planning equiping, and organising its development. First Bacth of MBBS students appeared for Opthalmology in December 1957.

            The department was recognised for P.G. Education in 1959, with admission of first batch of D.O. students and first batch M.S. students in 1960. The credit goes to Dr. Raghavachary again in elevating the department into P.G. teaching department comparable with any other institute in state in academic standards and patient care. The second unit was started in 1965 and Dr. S.V.M. Surya rao another Ophthalmologist of exacting standards and high academic achievements took over the unit. Dr. K. Appla narasaiah, along with . R. Musalappa  Reddy  were  responsible for the further growth of the department 1968 to 1974. During this period the concept of camp Surgery came intop practice and with launching of national Programme for Control of Blindness, many camps were organised efficiently and Dr. R. Dayakar was the pioneering Camp Officer. Dr. M. Venkatrrama Reddy was hed of the Dept. in 1975. Dr. C. Sundara Rama Sarma was head of the Department upto 1976. Dr. G. Ramaiah Chetty along with Dr. M. Rayaleswara Rao contributed to the growth of the department from 1976 to 1979. This coincided with the formation of the A.P. Opthalmic Society and saw a period of academic renaisssance and the second A.P. State Ophthalmic Conference was organised in this College with Dr. G. Ramaiah Chetty as Organizing Secretary in 1978. Dr. K. Vengala Rao joined the department in1779. This heralded the best academic activity in the dept. With the sad demise of Dr. M. Rayaleswara Rao in 1981, December. The department was upgraded and two more units were added in 1984. In 1985, starting of a Regional Eye Hospital at Guntur was mooted and Dr. M.S.S. Koteswara Rao, then Health minister almost got it sanctioned, but due to some reasons it was shifted to Warangal under stewardship of Dr.K. Vengala rao,the dept. saw the best academic activity from 1979-86, with record number of papers presented at state and national Conferences. In 1984 the eithth State Ophthalmic conference was organised in our College with myself as the organising secretary. With Dr. K. Vengalarao was awarded Dr. R. Koteswara Rao took over the department in 1987 and responsible for its development upto 1994. During this period the World bank Project was launched and District Blindness control Society formed.  In 1994 I took over the department as H.O.d. and with the co-operation of Dr. Rama Krishna Rao, Dr.V. Santosh Kumar, and Dr. B. Masthan Rao, Registrar trying our best to develop the department. Thanks to the local district collector, Principal Guntur Medical College and World bank Project, we are able to acquire excellent wquip;ment. In 1994 there is not even a single slit lamp in the department today we posses six slit lamps, two operating microscopes, (one imported form Switzerland) A Scan, Keratomer, VISC and many other small but significant  equipment added to the departments sinced 1994.

            Dr. A.V. Rao, Dr. M. PhaniKumar, Dr.D. Uday Kumar, Dr. Ch. Mohan Rao (Asst. Professors have undergone training in IOL surgery at S.D. Eye Hospital for four mionths and I State with pride we are now fully equipped and trained to carry our state o art cataract surgery in our institution. On the Academic Front Dr. Ajay Sharma A P.G. From our department passed examinationconducted by International Academy of Ophthalmology in 1996 and it is recognised by university of Edinbourough as equivalent to part I FRCS. I received Dr. R. Surya prasada Rao oration gold medal at 1996 state Ophthalmic conference held at Tirupati in November 19i96 and we are looking forward for the 1997 Conference to be organized by our department in Guntur. Organizing Eye bank is Undertaken, Required equipment is being obtrained and training of personnel is awqaited, and an ey donation center is likely to be started in 1997.

            In academic activity, equipment wise and patient care both in hospital and in camps, we favorably compare with any other dept. in the state.