• Loreni Tsanglao, NET Correspondent, Nagaland 

The Nagaland Optometric Association (NOA) has sharply denounced the activities of a number of optical stores in Nagaland that have been operating without the presence of any Eye Care Practitioners (Ophthalmologist, Optometrist and Ophthalmic Assistants).

Numerous optical shops in the state, particularly in Kohima and Dimapur, are run by unqualified individuals who lack a formal education in the field and provide computerized eye exams and other optical needs that fall under the category of health services and should only be provided or prescribed by a qualified professional in the field.

These stores are currently registered with the State Municipal Corporations and other commerce and trade authorities, but there is no oversight of the quality or calibre of the people who run them. As a result, regulation is critical, as a great number of optical businesses are springing up in every nook and cranny of the state.

“We as an association of Eye Care Practitioners (ECPs) are worried by the quality of health services catered by these unprofessional to one of our most important and sensitive organ like the eyes. Recently, a ten-year-old child was provided incorrect powered glasses by a salesman who attempted to drastically estimate the child’s eye power over the counter and administered it.” – informed a press release issued by the Nagaland Optometric Association (NOA).

The child wore the glasses for several days and had vision problems, which may have hindered the natural development of the child’s eyes. ECPs commonly find cases like this, where the patient is wearing incorrectly powered glasses or lenses, which are later discovered to have been created in these unprofessionally run establishments.

Eye powers are more than simply numbers, and even little variations in eye power indicate internal alterations that can only be appropriately addressed and managed by an Eye Care Professional.

Spectacle powers must be prescribed under expert supervision because they are optical instruments that necessitate numerous measures for a perfect fit.

According to the group, these stores charge according to their whims and fancies by delivering low-quality lenses while billing customers for high-quality lenses.

Meanwhile, another issue is the contact lenses that are sold and fitted in these establishments. Contact lenses are medical equipment that require the skill of an Eye Care Professional to fit, regardless of whether they are used to correct eyesight or for cosmetic reasons. Contact lenses are not one-size-fits-all, and each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks.

These unprofessionals have been witnessed putting contact lenses without sufficient cleanliness or knowledge over the counter. If they are not properly cared for, fitted, and followed up on, they can cause issues such as eye infections and even irreversible vision loss.

“We strongly advise everyone to avoid such quacks and only have their eyes evaluated by a qualified Eye Care Practitioner who can meet the specific demands of each individual eye.” – the release further reads.