SHANTI MANDIR’S 12TH RURAL EYE CAMP

held at Landhura March 2, 2005

In March 2005, Shanti Mandir held its 12th rural Eye Camp in seven years. Thanks to Gurudev’s vision, donations from Shanti Mandir devotees worldwide and the support of local community organizations, more than 8000 of northern India’s poor rural villagers have received state-of-the art eye care in that time. Of these, 1428 have had their eyesight restored after receiving cataract surgery and intra-ocular lens (IOL) implants. 

As with its predecessors, the 12th Eye Camp was organized by Shanti Mandir with the assistance of the Ganga Mata Charitable Eye Hospital & Research Centre (GMCEH) in Haridwar and the Government Pensioners Welfare Organization (GPWO) of Roorkee.

Although huge organizational and individual efforts go into running the eye camps, as this was the twelfth, established procedures ensured the event ran smoothly and efficiently.  Patients from surrounding villages, many elderly with family members helping them, came early to seek ophthalmologic help having been alerted by banners and loud-hailers in the previous days. The population here and in surrounding villages is evenly divided between Moslems and Hindus. They gathered and queued from early morning in the grounds of Rang Mahal, a 100-year-old royal palace at Landhaura, a large rural village about 30kms from the Shanti Mandir ashram at Kankhal near Haridwar on the sacred Ganges.  It was the second time the two surviving members of the royal family had graciously opened their ancestral home for a Shanti Mandir day-long eye camp. That same afternoon the first diagnosed patients were already undergoing cataract surgery back at the hospital in Haridwar where they received intra-ocular lens implants and the miracle of restored sight.

Gurudev, Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityananda believes the challenge of promoting eye health and preventing cataract blindness in rural India can only be met with the deep and committed involvement of communities.  Shanti Mandir continues to demonstrate its commitment by organizing twice-yearly rural eye camps within a logistically viable distance from its ashram in Northern India. Sadly, the village people targeted by the eye camps have neither the resources nor the awareness of treatments such as IOL implants for the widespread problem of cataract blindness. 

Gurudev arrived in Haridwar on March 1, at the beginning of a two-week tour of northern India. Devotees from Australia, France and the USA traveled with him as did followers from Delhi and other Indian centers who offered their practical assistance.  At an inauguration ceremony Gurudev highlighted a number of health promotion strategies warranted to raise awareness of the causes and prevention of cataract blindness. He said village folk remained superstitious and unaware of the health care measures they needed to take – not only for their general health but for their eye health in particular. He said more than 70 per cent of India’s total population still lived in poor villages with no access to modern health care. He encouraged urban young people to visit the villages and spread awareness to eradicate superstitions and illiteracy. While praising the efforts of the GMCEH and GPWO which run additional eye camps, he called for efforts to educate villagers by teaching the benefits of treatment and that relatively simple lens implants could restore vision in many cases. 

Dr Anita Sanyal, chief of GMCEH’s surgery unit, said Gurudev Nityanandaji Maharaj was a modern day Avatar of Swami Vivekanand and a true Mahatma. “With the support of his disciples he performs the selfless and noble service of providing eye-sight to people who otherwise could never hope to see light again”, she said.

By 2 pm 744 patients had been examined and further medical examinations continued until 4.30 pm, carried out by a team of four doctors and six technical staff. The lenses provided by Shanti Mandir come from Australia’s Fred Hollows Foundation.  All other expenses, including transportation, surgery and hospitalization during post-operative care are also met by Shanti Mandir. About 185 patients out of the total 744 were diagnosed as cataract blind and identified for surgery and IOL implants. The rest were treated at the camp and received medical advice and appropriate drugs. Dr Sanyal said about 80 per cent of blindness was due to cataracts but not all patients wished to undergo surgery. By week’s end 165 patients from the camp received surgical lens implants.

Two days later Gurudev visited the hospital to meet patients and inspect the facilities. At an official greeting ceremony he thanked hospital staff and GPWO representatives for their care and support. With the most sacred river in the world flowing not far away, he reminded the gathering that sound physical health reflected a broader picture. He urged everyone to observe clean and hygienic practices and to maintain the purity and cleanliness of the holy Ganges. The drive and zeal to protect our environment and keep our surroundings clean should come from within, he said.  Each of us should put forth our best efforts and not leave the responsibility solely to governments.  He suggested the hospital authorities initiate a public awareness program on environment protection and general hygiene while cautioning against the ills of using plastic bags.

For many years the GMCEH and GPWO have organized additional eye camps with the support of other charitable trusts. However, during the past six years eye camps organized by Shanti Mandir have gained the reputation of being camps with a difference.  Many villagers especially ask to attend the camps held by Shanti Mandir.  At every camp organized by the GMCEH and GPWO the team of doctors, surgeons and volunteers is the same but apparently a perceptible difference is felt when Shanti Mandir is involved.  It is not clear whether it is the divine powers of Shanti Mandir, the compassion of the devotees or Gurudev’s blessings that makes these camps different but villagers are now requesting additional eye camps run by Shanti Mandir.

You too can become a partner in Shanti Mandir’s mission to eradicate cataract blindness in the rural areas around the holy city of Haridwar. It takes only $US25.00 to restore the eyesight of one person. Donations may be sent directly to Shanti Mandir. Please find your nearest Shanti Mandir address on this website.