06/12/2025
โ Appeal to Optometry Professionals of India
A Wake-Up Call for Our Profession: Why is the Optometry Profession Council only badly needed โ
Dear Doctor Optometry and Members DOA,
Greetings of the day,
I am sharing a video for awareness and an eye-opener on Optometry, and how it is damaging the image of Optometry on social media
1. The time has come for us to rise together against the growing misinterpretation and conspiracy surrounding our noble profession. Recent attempts by certain ophthalmology professionals and social media influencers to undermine the identity of optometrists are not just misleadingโthey are a direct threat to the autonomy, dignity, and future of Optometry in India
video link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQy-DTFjJU7/?igsh=MXVyYXZub2FjaXEzeA==
2. Optometry is not a subset of ophthalmic science. It is a distinct, independent healthcare profession with its own scope, responsibilities, and contributions to public health. Yet, efforts are being made to dilute our identity under the proposed Ophthalmic Science Council, which would erase decades of progress and hard work by our community.
3. Why We Need an Optometry Council
๐น Professional Autonomy: Optometrists must be governed by a council that understands and protects our unique role, not one that subsumes us under another discipline.
๐น Educational Integrity: Our degrees and training must be recognised and safeguarded, ensuring that students receive proper placements in government hospitals and not relegated to private organisations without oversight.
๐น Public Health Impact: Optometrists are frontline providers of vision care. Weakening our profession will directly harm millions of patients who rely on us for accessible, ethical, and preventive eye care.
๐น Global Standards: Across the world, optometry is regulated by independent councils. India must not lag behind by allowing our profession to be overshadowed.
3. Call to Action
This is not just a policy debateโit is a battle for the survival of our profession. We must:
4. Unite under one voice of Delhi Optometrists Association to demand the establishment of a dedicated Optometry Council under the NCAHP Act, 2021.
5. Mobilize associations, institutions, and practitioners to support the ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for our cause.
6. Educate the public and policymakers about the true scope of optometry, countering misinformation spread by external influences.
7. Stand firm against any attempt to reduce optometry to a subordinate role under ophthalmology.
8. Final Words
Colleagues, this is our wake-up call. If we remain silent, we risk losing our professional identity forever. If we act now, we can secure a future where optometry thrives as an autonomous, respected, and indispensable pillar of healthcare in India.
Let us unite, let us act, and let us safeguard the dignity of Optometry.
Lifetime membership registration is open under Rs3000/ instead of Rs7000/-
https://www.doaindia.com/home/register
DOA is needed your support and financial conuntribution for PIL in the supreme court for Optometry Profession Council only not Ophthalmic Science Council
Regarding,
Dr Amit Kr Singh,
Secretary
www.doaindia.com