39 Free Eye Checkup and Cataract Surgery
September 15-23, 2024

A SKRM/SOS Selfless Service Initiative

Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (SKRM)/Science of Spirituality (SOS) has stepped up to contribute towards eliminating preventable blindness due to cataracts. Under the guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, world renowned spiritual Master and head of SKRM/SOS, the spiritual, non-profit organization sets up a Free Eye Checkup and Cataract Surgery Camp twice a year to restore vision among individuals who could otherwise not afford this cost-prohibitive surgery. To bring this noble cause to reality, the organization has partnered with ICARE Eye Hospital in Noida to provide state-of-the-art equipment for cataract surgeries. Over the years, SOS/SKRM has helped bring the gift of sight to more than 17,000 people.

This year also, the 39th Free Eye Checkup and Cataract Surgery Camp was organized from September 15-23, 2024, at Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, as part of the selfless service initiatives of the organization during the 28th Global Conference on Mysticism (September 13-20, 2024). The 1089 people shortlisted  for cataract surgery, out of the 2600 screened during the preliminary round on September 15, were provided free transport to the ICARE Eye Hospital in Noida, where, through the next week, they received cataract surgery free of cost. Since the inception of this camp, ICARE Eye Hospital has been using its operating theatres, doctors, and staff for this noble cause. The surgeries were performed by the doctors of ICARE Eye Hospital as well as by doctors specially visiting from the United States to offer their skills free of charge in the spirit of selfless service taught and exemplified by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj.

Meticulous Groundwork and Complete Care

On the first day of the camp, trained medical professionals from ICARE Eye Hospital performed a thorough screening and check-up of more than a couple of thousand people, so as to help identify patients eligible for cataract-removal surgery. Scores of volunteers from SKRM helped with the logistics of the process and registration of the patients. During the weeklong camp, patients who were assigned date for their surgeries were housed at Kirpal Bagh and provided complimentary meals prepared by SKRM volunteers. On their respective dates of surgery, patients were transported to the hospital on buses provided by the ICARE Eye Hospital in Noida, the venue of the surgeries. There, the cataract removal surgeries were conducted by the talented doctors and staff at ICARE Eye Hospital as well as a team of dedicated volunteer eye surgeons from the US. Behind the successful execution of the camp then were the many on-ground and administrative volunteers working in perfect tandem with the medical team to bring the gift of sight to hundreds. SOS/SKRM also provided reading glasses and several other essential amenities for the patients and their caretakers, with a view to making their experience as smooth and satisfactory as possible.

Patients’ Perspective

The patients who underwent these cataract surgeries expressed great joy and gratitude at having their vision restored after having experienced suffering and discomfort for a long time. They were grateful for their lifechanging surgery, which will help them return to a life of normalcy and perform day-to-day tasks in an effective manner, leading some to have better relationships and others to have financial stability.

A 75 year old patient from Barkatpur Chatari, situated 100 km from Delhi, had this to say, “I had gone to a local eye doctor, who pointed me to Kirpal Ashram in my village, where my name was noted for the free eye surgery. I struggled with seeing at a distance and with reading. My kids have a small business and I was not able to help them much due to my eyesight. It had impacted my relationship with my children. Now, after my successful surgery, I hope that I will be able to help my children with their business, and this would definitely improve my relationship with them.”

A 69 year old patient from Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, described, “I got my first eye surgery at the SKRM Eye Camp in September 2023. That surgery went fine and I have good visibility in that eye. Now my other eye had been bothering me for over six months, and my vision had become blurry. I was waiting for the September 2024 Eye Camp to get my cataract removed. Now, after the surgery, the quality of my life has improved significantly.”

Another patient, who lives with her daughter-in-law and four grandkids after her son abandoned the family, said this: “We don’t have any male earning member. My daughter-in-law works and I also do household chores at someone’s home to make ends meet. We are experiencing a lot of financial distress. Had it not been for the free surgery, I would not have been able to afford it elsewhere. I feel tremendously grateful at having been given this opportunity.”

A 50 year old farmer from Bihar explained how the cataract surgery would benefit him, saying, “It had become extremely hard for me to do farming as I was unable to see from one eye. One of my sons helped me a bit with the seeds, but overall it had become increasingly difficult for me. Now, I hope that when my operated eye recovers, I will be able to see better and farm my field, leading to a better quality of life.”

The Core Inspiration

Behind the initiative to bring the gift of sight to the needy is the blueprint of selfless service as taught and exemplified by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, who says, “When we serve others, we are letting God’s hands work through us. When God’s hands work through us, that is the glue that puts our broken pieces back together.”

Selfless service is a core tenet on the path of spirituality. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj teaches that in the spirit of service to humanity, wherein help is rendered lovingly and without any expectation of personal gain, it is our responsibility to share our skills and means with others, so as to help God’s children in need. In his words, “Let us live each day with a spirit of giving. Let us think of others. Let us help others. Let us serve others. Let us tend to the needs of those who are hungry, thirsty, or in pain. Let us seek to sacrifice of ourselves for the good of others. For in this way, we will find the greatest riches. We will be flooded with God’s love and Light.”