Two hours of driving on the highway and then over rough roads brings one to the small sleepy village of Khod in Pali district. This is the home town of my dear friend Dr Vinod Sancheti a successful and respected physician in the USA. It was Vinod’s earnest desire to give back to his native village and that’s why on the chilly morning 26 December 2024 our team made its way to Khod where Vinod had sponsored a free eye camp.

I was thrilled to be there and meet Vinod’s family and childhood friends who had completely immersed themselves in publicizing and arranging the camp. Our team examined and treated 315 patients onsite and brought back to our hospital 25 patients for free cataract surgery. All patients received an intra-ocular lens implant too. Herewith I am sharing a few pictures of the camp.

Recognizing this gap, we have taken the initiative to bridge it by organizing a free eye clinic once a month at this hospital. On February 14, 2025, our dedicated team, led by Senior Optometrist Mr. Anjesh Srivastava, held a clinic at the government hospital. During this session, we provided on-site treatment to 56 patients and identified 4 patients requiring immediate surgical intervention. These patients were promptly transferred to our base hospital, where they underwent successful operations on the same day.

It is therefore natural for many villages in Rajasthan to be named in honour of this sacred tree. One such village is the village of Khejariali, 47 kiloneters east of Jodhpur. It was here that we were invited to organize a free eye camp on February 11, 2025. Our team which included overseas volunteer Dr Joseph Keenan, examined and treated 184 patients on-site. We brought 21 patients with cataract to our base hospital and operated them free of charge the same evening. Here are some photos from the camp.