Revamp bypasses Ophthalmology Department, patients suffer amid crumbling setup
Nagpur: Even as Nagpur’s Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) flaunts a string of newly completed and near-finished projects under its two-year-long revamp, one of its most crucial departments, Ophthalmology, continues to languish in neglect. Forced to operate out of a dilapidated, 40-year-old structure originally built for the family planning department, the unit is on the brink of collapse, with peeling walls, broken flooring, and ceilings shedding chunks of plaster.
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18 Aug 2025
The irony is stark. The department handles an overwhelming daily load of 300 outpatients and nearly 25 surgeries, yet its OPD, operation theatre, and wards remain scattered across the campus, creating chaos for patients, doctors, and students alike. “With only one OT, a backlog of critical surgeries piles up daily. Facilities are fragmented, and space is woefully inadequate even for student training,” said Dr N G Raut, Professor and Head of Ophthalmology in a press conference held recently.
Plans for a six-storey, 80-bed Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, with advanced laser units and microscopic surgical equipment to tackle diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and DCT on a large scale, remain stuck in red tape. Shockingly, even the Rs 4 lakh consultancy fee to VNIT for a structural audit is pending, stalling the demolition of the crumbling building and halting the new project before it begins.
“Once operational, this institute will bring all services under one roof. Today, patients travel as far as Hyderabad and Chennai for treatments we could easily provide here,” Dr Raut stressed.
While the State Government has sanctioned a massive Rs 1,100 crore for GMCH’s overall modernization, ophthalmology appears to be left out of the priority list. Dean Dr Raj Gajbhiye admitted that a separate plan would have to be drafted for the department’s upgrade.
Meanwhile, the team continues its work against odds, performing 24 corneal transplants between August 2024 and July 2025, despite receiving 54 eye donations. Many could not be utilized, reflecting once again the crippling shortage of infrastructure.
For now, GMCH’s ophthalmology department stands as a glaring reminder that in the rush to showcase new projects, patient care is being left in the shadows.
