Tarabai Desai Eye Hospital, Jodhpur, India

31/08/2026

Kherapa

One and a half hours of steady driving brings one to the village of Kherapa, 68 kilometers to the north of Jodhpur. It is home to Ramdham Kherapa, a primary pilgrimage and monastic center of the Ramsnehi Sampradaya, a prominent Hindu religious sect. This is where our next camp was held under the stewardship of Dr. Rajiv Desai and his team. They examined and treated 310 patients with various eye ailments with care and compassion. Eleven patients with cataract were identified, admitted and transported to the base hospital. They received free cataract surgery with an artificial lens implant.

One patient who stood out was Sinder Singh, 55, from Muktsar, about 300 km away. Bilateral white mature cataracts had left him nearly blind, forcing him to give up his job as a cook earning ₹12,000 a month. As his vision deteriorated, he frequently burned food, injured himself, burned his fingers and struggled with routine tasks. Being single and without family support, he survived by washing dishes in exchange for food and shelter, relying on his elderly employer for assistance. Following cataract surgery in both eyes on consecutive days, he has regained functional vision and looks forward to living independently and returning to work.

Another notable case was Kalu Ram, a 39-years old mason and daily-wage labourer supporting a family of seven. A thorn injury caused a traumatic cataract in his left eye, reducing vision to counting fingers at 0.5 m, while his right eye also had uncorrected refractive error. Earning ₹15,000 a month and relying partly on his father’s ₹1,200 pension, he postponed surgery because he could not afford to lose income and had no alternative means of supporting his family. Over six months, progressive vision loss made masonry and manual labour, particularly tasks requiring binocular vision such as measuring and aligning stone, increasingly difficult and eventually impossible. He was laid off two months ago, leaving his family dependent on his father’s modest pension. Following restoration of sight, he hopes to return to wage work, contribute to farming and family responsibilities, and regain his financial independence, confidence, and quality of life.

Please help us continue & scale this impact. Donate today at : www.TarabaiEyecare.org [tax exempted in the USA]. Indian donors please scan the QR code.

27/08/2026

One is NOT a Lonely Number

During the month of August, our fixed facility camps in Jodhpur identified 38 patients requiring treatment for various eye ailments. All patients were expertly screened by our ophthalmic assistant, Mr. Wasim Akram. One patient required cataract surgery and was promptly transported to the base hospital, where the procedure was successfully performed the same evening.

The patient also received a complimentary intraocular lens implant. This life-changing intervention restored her vision and enabled her to regain her independence. After years of limited mobility and social isolation, she can now actively participate in daily life and reconnect with her community. So even that one operation gives us immense satisfaction.

Please help us continue & scale this impact. Donate today at : www.TarabaiEyecare.org [tax exempted in the USA]. Indian donors please scan the QR code.

21/08/2026

A happy patient after free dararact surgery in our eyecamp. Both eyes were operated. The RE has a dense scar and that too had good visual recovery.

19/08/2026

Free eye check up camp on 27 August.

17/08/2026

15/08/2026

Trauma to the eye is not uncommon. This young man injured his eye while wood cutting. There is bleeding in the eye and the iris diaphragm has detached from its root. There is profound loss of vision. One must always wear protective eyeglasses while at work or play.

15/08/2026

🇮🇳 eyehospital

14/08/2026

Free eye camp on 13 August. Mr Wasim conducts the screening

14/08/2026

Free eye camp at village Khedapa.

06/08/2026

The Cost of Waiting

A woman in her sixties came to our hospital after suffering intense eye pain and sudden loss of vision for three days. Before seeking medical care, she had visited a traditional healer and used medications that did not address the real problem. She was diagnosed with phacolytic glaucoma, a serious complication of an overripe cataract. The cataract had become so advanced that its contents had liquefied and leaked into the eye, causing a dangerous rise in eye pressure. Fortunately, her pain was brought under control, and she is now scheduled for surgery. The photos below highlight her plight.

Sadly, her story is not uncommon. India is home to the largest number of blind and visually impaired people in the world, and cataract remains the leading cause of preventable blindness. Most people know that cataracts require surgery, yet many delay treatment because of poverty, lack of access to healthcare, fear, or misinformation.

Poverty and blindness often exist in a vicious cycle. Poor vision makes it harder to work, earn a livelihood, and remain independent. At the same time, financial hardship, lack of awareness, and limited access to healthcare delay treatment, allowing preventable blindness to progress. As a result, advanced cataracts and their complications are still commonly seen in our communities.

At Tarabai, we strive to break this cycle by conducting eye camps and providing free cataract surgery, ensuring that no one loses sight simply because they could not access timely care.

Please help us continue & scale this impact. Donate today at : www.TarabaiEyecare.org [tax exempted in the USA]. Indian donors please scan the QR code.