Dr. Md. Mazharul Islam

Dr. Md. Mazharul Islam is an associate consultant. Ophthalmology. MBBS and FCPS. Eye doctors spend half their lives in the dark. His room probably has the lights turned off most of the day. Just the glow from the computer screen and the testing machines. People come in complaining about blurry vision. Lots of kids now. Staring at phones too much. He points at the chart on the wall. Asks them to read the bottom line. They squint. Guess the letters wrong. He just writes it down. Puts those heavy metal trial frames on their face. Dropping different glass lenses in. Asking if it is better or worse. One or two. Sort of a repetitive game. He writes the prescription for glasses.

He checks eye pressure too. Puffs of air hitting the eyeball. People always flinch. He is used to it. Sometimes he puts those yellow dilating drops in. Tells the patients to sit outside for half an hour. The waiting room gets crowded with people wearing dark sunglasses indoors. Looking at the floor because the lights hurt. He calls them back in. Looks deep into the retina with a handheld scope. Checking for nerve damage. Or early cataracts. He probably sees a hundred eyes a week. Just writing down the same eye drop names. Small plastic bottles. Squeeze one drop before bed. He stamps the paper. Hands it to the patient.