By Shelby Washington
For the past 35 years, Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital (SGLEH) has been an essential resource for those facing vision loss in North Bengal and beyond. As a premier eye care institution, SGLEH has done phenomenal work to bring quality eye services to people across Eastern India, regardless of their background. With a vast network of tertiary, secondary and primary eye care centers, the hospital has helped protect the eyesight of hundreds of thousands of patients, while continuously broadening its reach.
Thanks to the generosity of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and the dedication of Lions, SGLEH has grown from a single hospital to a vast network, now including four major hospitals across West Bengal and 16 primary high-care centers across three states—West Bengal, Sikkim, and Bihar. This expansion has dramatically increased access to eye care, with the hospital reaching nearly 200,000 patients annually and performing over 26,500 sight-saving surgeries last year alone.
With a deep understanding of vision care, Dr. Rajesh Saini, the hospital’s CEO, and one of the dedicated leaders working to address preventable blindness, has played a pivotal role in implementing projects supported by LCIF, such as the SightFirst program, a flagship grant initiative, that has transformed lives by improving vision care outcomes. “SightFirst has supported over 70 eye hospitals in Eastern India and 150 hospitals across the country.
This establishment has really helped to reduce the prevalence of blindness and expanded access to eye care in some of the most underserved regions. LCIF and Lion’s work has been appreciated throughout the country and throughout the globe”, says, Dr. Saini.
Thanks to continued collaboration between LCIF and SGLEH, as well as the launch of the new LCIF Vision Grant, the future of vision care in India looks bright. With continued support, SGLEH aims to surpass 30,000 sight-saving surgeries this year and reach 50,000 surgeries annually by 2050. “Every patient’s smile drives my passion to keep working energetically, and the work Lions are doing is phenomenal. They contribute their time, money and energy. It is incredibly inspiring,” Dr. Saini says. SGLEH and LCIF are helping communities thrive as they work together to expand services and reach more patients.
Lions are known throughout India for their work to improve the lives of the visually impaired and prevent avoidable blindness. LCIF proudly supports their continued efforts by offering unique and impactful initiatives, programs and grants.
Learn more about LCIF Vision in India:
https://www.lcifindia.org/vision.php
