Bhadrachalam hospital completes 400 cataract surgeries with single specialist
Area Hospital, Bhadrachalam, in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem district has completed 400 cataract surgeries since December 2023, with patients arriving from several States.
The ophthalmology unit of Area Hospital, Bhadrachalam, in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem district, has completed 400 cataract surgeries since its dedicated ophthalmic operation theatre was set up in December 2023.
The facility, the first of its kind in the district, was established before a similar operation theatre came up at Government General Hospital (GGH), Kothagudem. It was created with financial backing from the then District Collector, Anudeep Durishetty, on the initiative of District Coordinator of Health Services (DCHS) Dr. G. Ravi Babu.
Support for the unit continued under successive District Collectors Jitesh V. Patil and Ankit, along with ITDA Project Officer B. Rahul. Dr. Ravi Babu said this assistance covered intraocular lenses, surgical consumables and other requirements, which allowed cataract surgery services to be offered without interruption.
Patients have travelled to Bhadrachalam from across Bhadradri Kothagudem district as well as from Warangal, Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The unit presently carries out about 20 cataract surgeries a month and has expanded its surgical schedule from one day a week to two.
The hospital performs modern phacoemulsification cataract surgery, and the 400 procedures have been completed without major complications. The unit ranks among the better-performing ophthalmology units under the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), even though it operates with a single ophthalmologist engaged on a contract basis.
Dr. Ravi Babu noted that providing specialised surgical care in a remote tribal region, without forcing patients to travel to major urban centres, amounts to a significant healthcare service. He attributed the unit's ability to sustain the service to a combination of administrative support, dedicated infrastructure, essential surgical consumables and specialist medical and support staff.
He acknowledged the contribution of ophthalmologist Dr. Santosh and the ophthalmology nursing, operation theatre and support teams. The operation theatre was set up using district funds and has not received State funds so far.