From Darkness To Light: The Heartwarming Journey Of Bhaktivedanta Eye Hospital Barsana, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh | File Photo
In the heart of Barsana, a town nestled in Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh, over 120 surrounding villages have long been overshadowed by avoidable blindness and lack of basic medical facilities. Cataract-induced blindness has tragically become a common factor for many villagers, robbing them of the simple joy of sight.
In such deep hopeless situation, Bhaktivedanta Eye Hospital has been a beacon of hope since 1992. This hospital has been providing free eye care services, including cataract surgeries, to the villagers of Barsana and the surrounding areas. Over the years, —,more than 35,000 free cataract surgeries have been performed, restoring the precious gift of vision to countless lives. Annually, the hospital screens over 22,000 villagers and performs around 3,000 free cataract surgeries.
The story began in 1991, when a group of compassionate doctors from Bhaktivedanta Hospital and Research Institute in Mumbai visited Barsana on a pilgrimage. They were deeply moved by the plight of villagers suffering in silence due to cataract-induced blindness. Inspired by the gratitude and hope of the local people, they decided to organize an eye camp in Barsana. The villagers, filled with joy, flocked to the camp, finding solace in knowing that someone cared.
From the very start, extreme care has been taken to ensure the highest standards in pre-operative, operative, and post-operative care. The patients, treated with the best quality lenses, are given sunglasses, a 40-day medicine regimen, and a loving gift of a blanket. These heartfelt gestures embody the holistic embrace of compassion and medical excellence at the camps.
Every year, during January and February, a Mega Eye and Dental Camp is held in Barsana. This year, the camp will run from 2nd February to 16th February 2025, screening over 5000 villagers and performing around 1,000+ free cataract surgeries, including for children. The camp is a blessing to the local people and attracts individuals from Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. Over 50 doctors, paramedical staff, and 700+ volunteers unite from different parts of India and the world to offer selfless service, bringing rays of hope into the lives of those in need.
Dr. V.G. Shanbhag, Trustee of Sri Chaitanya Seva Trust adds with heartfelt sincerity, “Despite our best efforts, there remains a significant gap between the number of patients needing treatment and those being treated. This has prompted the management of Bhaktivedanta Hospital to embark on an ambitious project of building a new state-of-the-art hospital complex called Bhaktivedanta Eye Hospital at Barsana.”.
Dr. Ranjith Wagle & Dr. O. P. Gupta have been rendering service in Barsana for over 2 decades “It is a great opportunity to serve the Brijwasis & we feel blessed that we could offer this service to them as Ophthalmologists”.
Dr. Mukund Shanbhag, Senior Dentist from Mumbai says “We plan to do dental check-up including extraction, cleaning, filling etc to over 3000+ patients. We will also be providing free dentures to within 4-5 hours post treatment. Though we have the heart to do many, we will try our best to provide 100 dentures on first come first serve basis. Our volunteers will also go to different schools for screening & to create awareness of dental hygiene”
Dr. K. Venkatramanan Ph.D., Director of Share Your Care at Bhaktivedanta Hospital and Research Institute & Mr. Abhishek Agarwal who have been involved in the project shares, “It is very enriching to see the new hospital that has come up with over 50,000 sq. ft facility which would not have been possible without the support of our several well-wishers & donors. Despite their support, we still had to take loans to bring the project to this extent. Much has been done & much needs to be done! This year we plan to do 5000+ free Phaco surgeries in and around 120 villages of Barsana.”
We call upon kind-hearted individuals and corporate leaders to join hands in creating lasting smiles and restoring sight to the needy populace. We are deeply grateful to our well-wishers and donors for their unwavering support and blessings. With the divine grace of Smt. Radharani, we hope to continue our services to cater to more & more Brijwasis.
