JAMGON KONGTRUL EYE CENTER
Under the eminent Dr. Sanduk Ruit’s technical direction, the Eye Centre opened in May 2004. A community Eye Centre, it provides world class ophthalmic treatment and care. Its Outreach Department conducts on-going cataract screenings of patients in poor and backward areas, and the vision of school children. Cataract patients from the Outreach programs are mobilised to the Eye Centre for free cataract surgeries and intra-ocular lens implants. Since the Centre opened, it has maintained a good ratio of free versus of paying patients. In 2018, free patients were 40% of total surgical patients.
The Eye Centre is registered with the Health Department of West Bengal. The medical team comprises 2 Ophthalmic Surgeons, Dr. Saumya Sanyal and Dr. Sona Yanjo Bhutia. There are also 5 Ophthalmic Assistants, 2 nurses,1 pharmacist, 1 Vision Technician, 2 Optometrists and 3 general staff.
From January to December 2022, the Eye Centre had 9204 walk-in Out-patients. They came for vision examination and for treatment of various eye ailments. The patients were mainly from remote areas of Kalimpong and Darjeeling Districts and Sikkim. Among the total screened were 286 cataract patients requiring intra-ocular lens surgeries and 225 others suffering from eye problems such as glaucoma, cornea, retinal problems etc.
In the same year, under the Eye Centre’s on-going Free Remote Outreach programs in poorer villages, 1,911 patients were screened and treated for various eye ailments. Among them were 190 cataract patients. They were mobilised to the Eye Centre for the free treatments.
In summary, the number of free patients was 40% against 60% of paying patients in year 2018. The ratio exceeds the Eye Centre’s initial aim through its outreach program of at least 30% free patients.
In memory of the His Eminence the Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche. JK Eye Centre screened 1360 patients from 9 rural camps including Kalimpong town. 129 cataract patients were selected. Due to the Laxime puja holiday only 82 patients showed up at the clinic and were operated on by world renowned Dr. Sanduk Ruit of Tilganga Eye Centre Nepal & our own Dr. Sona Y Bhutia.
