Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghoul of Seema Eye Care Centre has been in service for more than 15 years. He is a native of Saskatchewan and has a certification of practice not only in Canada but also in the United States.

As an ophthalmologist, he specialises in cataract and corneal surgery. We also discovered that he performs limbal stem cell transplantation, Pterygium surgery, and Keratoprosthesis.

Dr. Al-Ghoul has a vibrant career and reputation in the field of ophthalmology. He introduced some impressive surgical procedures in Calgary, such as Descemet Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK).

He was also the first doctor to introduce Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) in Alberta from his training in Switzerland.

In 2008, he received an award from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery because of his invention that improves tissue delivery during DSAEK surgery.

We are also glad he shares his knowledge with others through his research and teaching at the University of Calgary.

Patients can contact him through Seema Eye Care Centre. Aside from a large clinic of 7000 sq ft,the eye clinic boasts modern interiors and state-of-the-art equipment, such as the Schwind Sirius that allows Dr. Al-Ghoul to conduct advanced 3D diagnosis of the cornea.

As a testimony of his mastery, Dr. Al-Ghoul had a 20-year-old patient who suffered from dry eye disease and had to use eye drops to treat his condition. After providing reverse treatment and therapy, the patient’s eye returned to normal, and she no longer had to use eye drops.

However, Dr. Al-Ghoul has a tight schedule because of his numerous commitments. Patients who want to avail their service must reserve a lot of time for their appointment. 

Because of the same reason, he is not flexible in cases of immediate attendance or emergency.

For almost 40 years, Dr. Dheepak Khosla has dedicated himself to ophthalmic services. Aside from providing eye diagnoses, he also conducts minor operative procedures and laser eye surgeries.

We are glad to tell patients that Dr. Khosla is fluent in several languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and Tamil. Native speakers of these languages can get comfortable with Dr. Khosla.

Dr. Khosla is also a proud member of four medical institutions in Canada, among them the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.

Also, Dr. Khosla is a volunteer and collaborates with charities in Canada and India. The Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, which provides humanitarian relief and activities for young adults, is one of them.

This ophthalmologist is described as caring and sensitive to his patients’ needs. One client with a hearing problem mentioned that Dr. Khosla was very patient and spent extra time discussing his condition and eye care treatment.

Dr. Khosla practises at Calgary Eye Specialist Clinic, which is known for its top-notch eyecare equipment. For instance, they have a Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, which is the most advanced equipment for laser eye surgeries that Dr. Khosla specialises in.

However, Dr. Khosla only performs minor eye surgery. Clients with more complicated cases requiring a more specialised treatment may look for other ophthalmologists.

Dr. Karim Punja has been practising ophthalmology for 15 years in Calgary. 

In addition to credentials from the University of Ottawa, he finished his postgraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego for Ophthalmic Facial, Plastic, and Reconstructive Surgery.

Working in Orbit Eye Centre in Calgary, Dr. Punja provides general surgery and specialises in orbital & oculofacial plastic surgery.

What we like about Dr. Punja is his active and continuing involvement in research and education. Aside from teaching as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, he also lends his office equipment and facilities to students–from high school to post-graduate.

Dr. Punja has co-authored research articles and books on ophthalmology and oculofacial plastic surgery. His latest work was published in 2012.

We are glad that his hard work in the field of ophthalmology has received recognition from several universities in Canada, like Queen’s University and the University of Ottawa.

The Orbit Eye Centre where Dr. Punja practises has modern equipment such as YAG (yttrium-aluminium-garnet) Laser and Anti VEGF for cataract and blood clot lessening, respectively.

As proof of his expertise, Dr. Punja had a patient whose condition was dismissed as dry eyes by other doctors. His team later discovered that it was a blood clot that had permanently blinded her left eye. 

Needless to say, his treatment and advice saved the patient from total blindness.

However, we found out that Dr. Punja cannot speak foreign languages. Non-English-speaking clients may need to check out the other doctors on our list who can cater to this specific need.

And although he may accommodate special cases, Dr. Punja has a tight schedule because of his involvement in research and university.

Since he finished his ophthalmic training in Australia in 1984, Dr. Mitchell has been sharing his skills in ophthalmology with Calgary citizens for almost 40 years. Aside from general surgery, corneal, and cataract surgery, he also specialises in treating traumatic eye injuries.

Aside from being the owner and founder of Mitchell Eye Centre, he also co-founded the Calgary Eye Foundation. The institution provides grants and support for students and researchers aiming to improve eye care research in Calgary.

Dr. Mitchell also built clinics in other countries. He established three eye clinics in Vietnam and introduced LASIK surgery there, which speaks to his deep expertise.

With their clinic being a huge complex building, it is not surprising that they have a large, hotel-like lobby for patients and numerous rooms to entertain the huge volume of clients.

One of his patients, a 74-year-old with a severe visual problem, started “seeing like a baby” after he and his son visited Dr. Mitchell for eye surgery.

We’re just a bit disappointed to learn that he has a habit of being late to his appointments, sometimes by as much as an hour. We do commend his team for always notifying patients in these scenarios to keep them from waiting too long.

Also, Dr.. Mitchell cannot converse in other languages aside from English. Other than that, we think he is an ophthalmologist worth visiting – that is, if you have a generally flexible schedule.

Dr. Jamie Bhamra has been providing ophthalmic care for almost 15 years at Vector Eye Centre since he completed his postgraduate residency at the University of Ottawa.

Aside from general surgery, Dr. Bhamra has advanced training in cataract and corneal surgery. He strives to be up to date on the latest transplant technology such as penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK), among others.

For research and education activities, Dr. Bhamra has provided training for students and other professionals at the University of Calgary. He even received the “Master Teacher” award from the same university because of his dedication to knowledge-sharing.

Dr. Bhamra is also involved in medical institutions and foundations abroad, specifically in India and Vietnam. In the latter, he conducted medical and surgical eye camps as his way of learning new things and helping people.

We appreciate that Dr. Bhamra is also fluent in Hindi and Punjabi, catering to patients from these cultural backgrounds.

Although the clinic is small compared to competitors, they have numerous PWD parking spaces right in front of them, which we think is an extra-thoughtful touch.

One of Dr. Bhamra’s clients can testify to his expertise and care for patients. The client’s keratitis that rendered her unable to drive healed within two weeks after Dr. Bhamra provided her with a treatment plan and surgery.

Do note, though, that due to his reputation, Dr. Bhamra has a jam-packed schedule, which sometimes leads him to rush through appointments.

That also resulted in instances wherein he could not thoroughly explain the surgical procedure and other important medical details.

We hope that he could consider spacing out his appointments in order to properly accommodate every patient he says “yes” to.