Hyderabad, June 17 -- It was only a minor eye infection. Treatment was available much closer to home. Yet, Kaneez Fatima chose to travel all the way from Moula Ali in Secunderabad to the Abid Ali Khan Eye Hospital in Darulshifa.

For her, it was not merely about medicine. It was about trust. Likewise, Gurubachan Singh of Gowliguda rushed to the same hospital when he developed severe pain in his eye. Like hundreds of others, he knew where to go when vision seemed threatened.

In a city increasingly dominated by costly corporate healthcare and overcrowded government facilities, the Abid Ali Khan Eye Hospital has quietly carved a niche for itself. For thousands of middle- and lower middle-class families, it has become the preferred destinati...