Dr. Hemlata Gupta
Consultant of Cataract
and Refractive Surgery,
Centre for Sight, New Delhi
Dr. Hemlata Gupta, Consultant of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, at Centre for Sight, New Delhi, India talks 
about her experience at a corporate eye hospital chain and why she chose to work there after a stint with the government.
What form of practice are you in? (Solo/Group/Corporate/Private institution/Public institution/Medical College)
Corporate
Why did you choose the current form of practice you are in?
I knew I wanted to work with Dr. Mahipal Singh Sachdev someday when I first read his book on phacoemulsification while completing my post-graduation. I have always been an ardent admirer of his work, so it was a golden opportunity for me to work with him at CFS. In my ten years with the hospital, I have learnt more about cataract and refractive surgery than I could’ve ever dreamed of, and I am glad that I chose this form of practice.
Do you have experience of any other form of practice apart from the one you are currently in? If yes, could you briefly compare them?
Yes. I have worked in both government and charitable set ups before. The difference lies mainly in the way we are able to provide services and technologies to our patients. While in government and charitable set ups, the number of patients is large, limitations in equipment and accessories prevent doctors from performing their best. Sometimes, they aren’t able to give enough time and attention to every patient due to huge patient loads and limited support staff.
What do you perceive as the key advantages and disadvantages in your current form of practice?
In a place like CFS, most facilities are laid out for us. Equipment is well kept, faults are quickly repaired, and support staff is very efficient. We mainly have to focus on delivering best patient care with bets of Corporate Practice technologies, making our work easier and more satisfying.
Another advantage of working in a private practice is the exposure to cutting edge technologies. I owe all my knowledge of cataract and refractive surgery to Centre for Sight. Being able to work with such new and improved technologies like femtosecond laser allows me to share my experiences and learnings with the world at both national and international conferences. I am also glad to be able to pursue my passion for a chosen superspeciality wholeheartedly.
I enjoy my role as faculty for teaching cataract and refractive surgery to both national and international students. I’m glad that CFS gives me a platform to share the skills that I have acquired with innumerable other doctors and help benefit more patients all across the world. Some of the disadvantages of this work are- having to handle demanding patients, the busy schedule, and the long working hours.
If you were to start a new practice today, would you choose a different one?
I’m a strong believer in helping the less privileged. God has blessed me and helped me immensely, so I would like to give back to the society as much as I can. So, if I were to start my own practice, I would definitely make a significant part of it charitable. It is my duty to help those in need, so my practice would be an amalgamation of a corporate and charitable set up.