INTRODUCTION

Guru Nanak Eye Centre is a premier institute in the capital of India providing comprehensive eye care services to the residents of Delhi and its outskirts.  It was conceived in 1971 and its first wing, the OPD block became operational in 1977.

EVOLUTION OF  GURU NANAK EYE CENTRE

Irwin Hospital, later renamed Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, was founded in 1936.  It had a small Department of Ophthalmology amongst its various departments.  On August 1, 1958, Delhi Medical College, later renamed Maulana Azad Medical College was established with affiliation to Irwin Hospital. Irwin Hospital & its various departments assumed teaching responsibilities and started teaching M.B.B.S. students.  Postgraduate teaching was subsequently added in 1964.  Thanks to the foresight and efforts of its competent and dedicated faculty, the department of ophthalmology grew phenomenally and the various sub-specialties of ophthalmology flourished.  The Squint Clinic was established in 1964, the Eye Bank in 1965, the Retina Care Unit in 1969 and the Contact Lens and Low Vision Aid Clinic in 1971. 

In view of the phenomenal growth of the department and the efforts of the then Head of Department, Dr. S.R.K. Malik, the Govt. of India decided to upgrade the ophthalmology department to a full-fledged institution and Guru Nanak Eye Centre was thus conceived in 1971.  The aim was to provide the infrastructure for further development of the tremendous potential of the department and in the process have an ophthalmic institution of a high caliber.

Initially, only the OPD block was created & it became operational in 1977. At that time, the indoor facilities and operation theatre continued to run in Irwin Hospital.  Indoor and OT facilities were added to the GNEC campus in 1993, with the establishment of a 184- bedded ward block, its second wing.  The third phase was commissioned in 2009 and through this phase, a new OT complex, 28 private rooms for paying patients, an auditorium and more office space have been added.  Over the year, GNEC has progressed tremendously, has lived up to its expectations and is striving to achieve even greater heights.

HEADS OF THE DEPARTMENT

Dr.  S.R.K. Malik
Dr. D.P. Aggarwal
Dr. B.S.  Jain
Dr. A.K. Gupta                                    1980-1992
Dr. P.A. Lamba                                    1992-1996
Dr. L.D. Sota                                       1996-1997
Dr. D.K. Mehta                                    1997-2006
Dr. B. Ghosh                                        2006-to date