Regional Institute of Ophthalmology

The Regional Institute of Ophthalmology houses the Department of Ophthalmology in Medical College Kolkata.

History

Major Maynard became the Prof of Ophthalmology in Medical College Calcutta in 1905 and immediately found that a modern eye hospital was needed to cope with the large number of blind patients. The proposal for a new eye infirmary was approved by the Government in 1916. In 1918 the land for the hospital was acquired but the work was hampered due to World War I. The new eye Hospital was formally inaugurated by H. E. Sir Stanley Jackson, the then Governor of Bengal in October 1926. The Regional Institute of Ophthalmology was set up herein January 1978.

“HISTORY OF EYE CARE IN CALCUTTA Calcutta was the first place in India to take advantage of the wonders of modern medical sciences and to offer them to the people of India. In the field of ophthalmic science Calcutta retained the leading role till the middle of this century. It is necessary by all in this field to know the glorious past of this Institute. Let us have it in few lines.

The first private Eye Hospital in Calcutta was set up in Chowringhee in 1814 by an English Eye Surgeon Dr Luxmore. But the major breakthrough in the field of teaching and practice of Ophthalmology in Calcutta occurred with the establishment of Calcutta Medical College in 1835. “In the records the earliest eye work mentioned was in the year 1840 and the name of Dr J R Martin is associated with it . An actual separate eye department in connection with Medical College Hospitals was established in the year 1860 in Halliday Street at the site now called Mohamed ali Park, -------------’’

The information narrated in the above paragraph was obtained from “ HISTORY --- A NOTE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY IN BENGAL by Lt.-Col E, O’ G. Kirwan ; from the “Proceedings of the Centenary of the Medical College, Bengal, 1835 – 1934” . The same article has given us an account of the story behind the erection of the presently located building lodging Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Calcutta .

From 1840 thru’ 1905 the eye dept continued in the same manner. During this period Dr J R MARTIN , Dr C ARCHER , Major N C MACNAMARA , MAJOR H CAYLEY , LT COL J LEWTAS headed the ophthalmology dept of Medical College , Bengal . In 1905 , Lt Col Lewtas was succeeded by Major Maynard . Major Maynard was the person to point out the necessity of a new , enlarged and modern eye hospital and school which would be worthy of such a large city .

Now let us go through the actual paragraphs and sentences written in the Centenary Proceedings of Medical College , Bengal . It goes like this --------- “ He drew up the plans of the present Eye Infirmary and, due to his enterprise , energy and skill , his proposals were finally approved by Government in 1916 . --------------- It was finally opened for the reception of patients in September 1926 during the period that Major Kirwan was officiating as Professor of Ophthalmology.” ---------------------------

We do not know his date of birth or the date of his death. But we know that he had written two text books for his students and these were published in 1908. It may, however be noted that he became head of dept of ophthalmology of Medical College in 1905.

Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Calcutta is a premiere institute of this country. Surgery for correction of retinal detachment used to be performed here before anywhere in this country. In 1973 Retina Research Center was established at R.I.O. It was the period when the world came to know about the first ever modern Pars Plana Vitrectomy by Robert Machemer, the father of this special surgery. His first two papers, on this technique, were published in 1971 and 1972. Within next 10 years the basic principles of this surgery were established and almost all leading institutes commenced working on this.

At Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Calcutta, attempts to perform Basic vitrectomy were made, only from late eighties with indigenous vitrectomy machines. All varieties Vitrectomy surgery began from 1994 when a modern machine was obtained. Since then a small group of surgeons are working in this field. There is gradual increase in the number of vitrectomy surgeries performed here.

RIO Alumni Association

The idea of formation of RIO Alumni Association was conceived on 1st July 1997 during the ceremony of celebration of the Foundation day. Dr Anil Ghanta, Dr Sanjib Purokait and Dr Sankar Nath were the initiator. A letter was issued to the addresses of the Ex-students of the member, to attend a meeting on 17th August 1997 to discuss about the matter. Prof. P. R. Chatterjee the then Director of RIO Calcutta helped us a lot. The office could not provide the addresses of Ex-students prior to 1997. We explored our known seniors and we got many.

The meeting on 17/8/97 was a grand success and we took two important decisions. First a committee was formed to outline the constitution of the Association. The first Re-union was decided to be held on 13/12/97.

The whole matter was spread among the members of OSWB in the Annual State Conference held in Malda in September 1997. Huge interest was noted and many demanded to include house-staffship at RIO to be included as a criteria of eligibility of membership. It was considered during construction of the constitution of the RIO Alumni Associationn. The first Re-union held on 13/12/97 at Seminar room RIO was encouraging.

List of Alumni

MS 1987-89

· Dr SANKAR NATH

· Dr MALAY Kr SARKAR

· Dr PRADIP Kr GHOSH

. Dr ASIS KONAR

DO 1987 – 88

· Dr BISWAJIT DEY

· Dr GOUTAM KANTI ADAK

· Dr NILANJANA BISI

MS 1988-90 · Dr SUMIT CHOWDHURI

· Dr BIJAN BARMAN

· Dr HARINATH MUKHERJEE

· Dr GOUTAM GHOSH

DO 1988 – 89

· Dr ARKAPRAVA GHOSH

· Dr SUKANYA DAS

· Dr SIDDHARTHA BAM

· Dr SHEELA KAMATH

· Dr INDRANIL BHATTACHARYA

MS 1989-91

· Dr DEBASIS SARKAR

· Dr SUBIR Kr PRAMANIK

· Dr SANTANU DEY

· Dr TUSHAR KANTI SINHA

· Dr ARUP Kr GOSWAMI

DO 1989 – 90

· Dr MRIGANKA MAHATO

· Dr NILADRI SAHA

· Dr SUDIPTA DEY

· Dr ANUMITA MITRA

MS 1990-92

· Dr SUMIT Kr SEAL

· Dr ARUNAVA KUNDU

· Dr CHITTARANJAN CHATTERJEE

· Dr SOMDUTT PRASAD

DO 1990 – 91

· Dr KANCHAN Kr MANDAL

· Dr SUBODH RATH

· Dr SOUMYAKANTI SEN

· Dr ANANYABRATA DAS

MS 1991-93

· Dr SOUMEN CHAKRABARTY

· Dr JOYDEB KUNDU

· Dr SUBRATA SOME

· Dr PRASENJIT MAITY

DO 1991 – 92

· Dr SATYAJIT DE

· Dr SANJOY Kr DOULAT THAKUR

· Dr KUSHAL DUTTA

· Dr NILOY Kr MAJUMDER

MS 1992-94

· Dr LAKSHMIKANTA MANDAL

· Dr KOUSHIK ROY

· Dr BHASKAR ROY CHOWDHURI

· Dr SUBRATA DUTTA

DO 1992 –93

· Dr ARABINDA ROY

· Dr VASUDHA ERRAGUNTHA

· Dr BIDHAN CH BERA

· Dr PHALGUNI MITRA

· Dr SAMBUDDHA GHOSH

MS 1993-95

· Dr MANAS GHOSH

· Dr DEBANANDA CHATTERJEE

· Dr SOMA PAIN

· Dr SUBRATA MUKHERJEE

DO 1993 – 95

· Dr DEBASIS CHATTERJEE

· Dr TINKU PANJA

· Dr SUBRATA SAHA

· Dr MONALISHA NANDY

MS 1994 - 97

· Dr SANJIB Kr PUROKAIT

· Dr ANIL Kr GHANTA

· Dr ARUP BHOWMIC

· Dr AYAN MOHANTA

DO 1994 – 96

· Dr PARTHA PRATIM DAS

· Dr ANANTA BANERJEE

· Dr RAJAT NANDY

· Dr PARTHA SARATHI ROY

MS 1995 - 98

· Dr SABYASACHI BANERJEE

· Dr KISHORE Kr VATWANI

· Dr PIYA SEN

DO 1995 – 97

· Dr MAITREYI CHAKRABARTY

· Dr SANTANU DEB

MS 1996 - 99

· Dr GOUTAM SAHA

· Dr ARUN BANERJEE

· Dr SOMENATH SARKAR

· Dr MAHENDRA PRATAP TEWARI

DO 1996 – 98

· Dr PRANAB Kr PUROKAIT

· Dr ASHA ACHHUTHAN

· Dr VIMAL RAWAL

· Dr JAYANTA MITRA

· Dr SIMANTAN BASU

· Dr AMITAVA DAS

· Dr BHASKAR BHATTACHARYA

      DO    1997 – 99 

· Dr SOUGATA HALDER

· Dr ARUTIRTHA CHOWDHURI

· Dr BARISAN MUKHERJEE

DO 1998 - 2000

· DR DIPAK JHA

· DR VIKRAM SINGH BHUTORIA

· DR SUBRATA GHOSH

· DR KUNAL PATRA

· DR NILADRI SANKAR MOHANTI

· DR NARENDRA NATH DHALI

MS 1997 -2000

· DR SUMITRO SAHA

· DR SUMAN GHOSH

· DR SUDIPTA ROY

MS 1998 -2001

· DR PRANATOSH ROY

· DR SOUMEN CHOWDHURI

· DR SUBHASIS MITRA

· DR SWAPAN MANDAL

· DR MALABIKA DEBBARMAN

DO 1999 - 2001

· DR DEBJANI MUKHERJEE

· DR PANKAJ AGGARWAL

· DR PIJUSH ROY

· DR JOYDEEP BHATTACHARYA

· DR ANUTOSH MAITY

· DR PARTHA PRATIM SARKAR

MS 1999 - 2002

DR SIDDHARTHA AGGARWAL

DR SOUMYA SANYAL

DR APURBA SAMANTA

DR     SUBHENDU      DAS   

DO 2000 - 2002

· DR MONALI CHAKRABARTY

· DR SUPARNA CHAKRABARTY

· DR MEGHMALA DAS

· DR SUNIL SURANA

· DR SHYAMAPADA BISWAS

· DR SUJATA BISWAS