By Lisa Harrison
Highlanders have more options to see clearly now that two optometrists have joined Haliburton Vision Care Centre.
Amardeep Bhogal and her husband, Kinderpal Singh, hail from Ontario and England. Singh has completed the International Optometric Bridging Program at the University of Waterloo.
“We’re excited to have the new doctors join our team at Haliburton Vision Care,” said Lauren Wilson, co-owner of the centre with her husband, Brett.
“They are very knowledgeable and … very nice people and have such positive attitudes on helping people and making sure they get the best possible care.”
Bhogal said she and her husband are “very excited to be here in the community.”
“We are looking forward to bringing our skills and experience to the practice to help provide our patients with professional and courteous care. We are continuously updating our professional knowledge to help provide the best service we can.”
The couple joins the centre’s optician, Elsie Deocampo, to round out the team. Bhogal and Singh will be at the centre on Mondays and Fridays. Evening appointments are available.
Bhogal received a B.Sc. with honours from Western University in London, Ontario and obtained her doctor of optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts in 2014. She has worked across the Greater Toronto Area since then and is also qualified to practice in England, where she worked in 2017.
“I always felt like vision was such a critical component of our day-to-day lives,” said Bhogal of the reason for her career choice.
“While in school, I enjoyed the physics and anatomy of the eye and was amazed with the connection to the brain. I felt like optometry was a great profession where I would have direct patient connections, while making a meaningful impact.”
Singh obtained a B.Sc. in Optometry with honours from the University of Bradford, England in 2013 and completed his clinical training near London, England. Family experiences led him to this career.
“Eye disease was very prominent in my family and I experienced first hand the effects it has on a person’s day-to-day quality of life,” said Singh.
“Accompanying my family members to all of their appointments really sparked an interest in optometry for me, which led me to where I am today.”
That route included independent work throughout England and attending and organizing international outreach trips to communities in need in countries such as Ethiopia, Greece, Lebanon and India.
Singh and Bhogal currently live north of Toronto and will commute for now. They’re familiar with cottage country, spending much of each summer in Muskoka, and look forward to experiencing the Highlands.
“We love being in nature and are avid travellers,” said Bhogal. “We enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing and gardening. We definitely believe the Highlands will accommodate our interests.”
Haliburton Vision Care Centre is located at 7217 Gelert Rd. next to LifeLabs in Haliburton. For more information or to book an appointment, visit haliburtonvisioncare.com or call 705-457- 9500
