Thursday, March 11, 2010

Is this an `N’ or an inverted `Z’?


Many years ago I ordered my golden ring with the letter `S’ (to signify the first letter of the name of my wife Sheela) inscribed on it. But, since `S’ is also the first letter of the names of my three sister-in-laws, I changed the inscription to `N’. My co-brother jokingly borrowed my ring and showing the inverted `Z’ told my father-in-law that he got it as a present from Zenith at Khopoli where he worked as an engineer! So, we see the answer depends on the way we look at things.

Although optometry was introduced in India way back in 1958, not only public awareness of the term is highly lacking, even many ophthalmologists address an optometrist as an optician. And, step-motherly treatment meted out to the primary eye care profession by the Government in delaying the introduction of legislation to regulate its practice is supposedly the biggest drawback in creating this wrong perception.

Dr. Narendra Kumar

Sunday, March 7, 2010

What’s this?


Ever since joining Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, as Refractionist in the year 1962, my life revolved round optometry by way of attending to a never-ending stream of patients, helping establish Indian Optometric Association, taking up the publication of Optometry Today in the interest of the betterment of the profession, studying for a degree course in (ayurvedic) medicine to broaden the sphere of my working, and ultimately settling down in private ptactice as a part of the clinic run by my ophthalmologist son Maneesh (ophthacare@gmail.com).

But, there’s certainly life as well beyond optometry! Encouraged by my long-forgotten passion for art, coupled with the family’s interest in `Dance India dance’ programme on TV, I leisurely tried out my hand on a creation making use of `waste’ strands of threads and glass-paint. Now, can someone help me out with its title?

Dr. Narendra Kumar