Surat doctor’s trust completes 21,000+ free eye surgeries in 18-year fight against rural blindness

Surat: In Gujarat’s villages, an eye problem often becomes blindness simply because help arrives too late. For 18 years, Dr. Bhavin Patel has worked to change that.

His Surat-based trust runs 40 eye camps a month across rural Gujarat and has completed over 21,000 free surgeries to date, targeting preventable blindness in underserved communities.

The initiative focuses on early screening for cataracts, glaucoma, and other conditions that commonly lead to vision loss when left untreated. Mobile camps bring diagnostics, medicines, and surgical referrals directly to villages, cutting delays in access to care.

“Most cases we see are treatable if caught in time. The challenge is reach,” Dr. Patel said. His team partners with local health workers and panchayats to identify patients and arrange follow-ups.

Over nearly two decades, the trust’s work has restored sight for thousands of farmers, daily wage workers, and elderly residents who otherwise could not afford treatment.