News

Volume 2 Issue 7 - April 01, 2004

Blind doctor set to practice medicine

Dr Christ Sudarshan Toppo, the first blind person to receive his MBBS degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), has registered himself with the Delhi Medical Council and is all set to start his medical practice.

The Statesman had first reported Dr Toppo's feat soon after he received his MBBS degree at the 33rd annual convocation of the premier medical institute.

The doctor has, however, not yet decided about his field of specialisation. "I am going through the options before me. I will make my decision only after considering all the options," he said.

Dr Toppo was diagnosed with Eales disease, an inflammation of eye veins which causes frequent bleeding in the eyes, a month before his final MBBS exam. Following the diagnosis he had to discontinue his studies to undergo treatment.

However, once it became evident that he would not regain his vision, Dr Toppo, instead of losing heart, decided to complete his studies. He took his final exams in 2002 conducted by AIIMS and completed his internship in 2003.