Message from

Sri Hira Lal Yadav Chairman, Rotary Hooghly Eye Hospital

On 17the June, 2000, the Trustees of Rotary Club of Hooghly Welfare Trust and members of Rotary Club of Hooghly started the journey of Service to Mankind by providing Eye Care & Treatment to the needy & underprivileg Rotary Hooghly Eye Hospital was initially set up in a very old building in Bansberia to provide eyesight to the needy and underprivileged patients for free of cost or at a low cost to those who can pay. We started organizing Free Cataract Screening Camps in remote villages & bustees with the help of local clubs, panchayats and supporting organization. ECG, Blood Sugar and pre operative tests are being provided free of cost in the camps. The screened and fit-for-surgery patients are provided free cataract surgery with lens (IOL Surgery) at RotaryHooghly Eye Hospital. We provide Eye Check-ups at a (except Sunday). We provide Eye Surgeries & other Eye treatment at a price very low charge of Rs. 75.00 only at Rotary Hooghly Eye Hospital, everyday much lower than other Eye Centers. Eye Testing and Surgical Equipment Rotary Hooghly Eye Hospital are of a very high standard and make and the surgeons are well experienced. The success rate is more than 99%. In time, the demand of our product-service increased and we were unable to accommodate the increasing patients in the old building. We looked for a small piece of land at a more convenient location. A generous gentleman, Late Kartick Chandra Ahir came forward and assured me that he would bear the cost of the land for the new building. On 1" February, 2006, Late Kartick Chandra Ahir bought the 9000 sqft land (12.5 Katha) and donated it to the Rotary Club of Hooghly Welfare Trust to construct the new building. The foundation stone was laid by PRIP Rtn. Kalyan Banerjee on 19 May, 2006. Construction started in April, 2008, but was stopped in July, 2008 due to some unavoidable reasons as well as for shortage of funds.

During that period, several Rotarians visited the construction site. One of them was Michael Ratcliffe of UK. He was so impressed by the working of the Hospital and the service being provided that he donated 10,000 sterling pounds (then Rs. 7,75,550) in September, 2011. Some other generous Rotarians of UK also contributed 10,000 pounds in October, 2011.
With the encouragement & funds received from Rotarian friends from UK, construction of the new building started again in February, 2012. Three storied building having 16800 sqft floor area was constructed at the cost of Rs. 198.00 lakhs.
On 12th November, 2013, we started outdoor services in the new building and indoor services (surgeries) on 14" December, 2013.

We are privileged to be partnered with Aravind Eye Hospital-Madurai We have signed a MOU with Aravind Eye Hospital/ LAICO on 5° April, 2017 for Capacity Building and Quality Improvement/Upgradation of the Treatment offered.

On behalf of Rotary Club of Hooghly Welfare Trust and Rotary Hooghly Eye Hospital, I express my sincere thanks & gratitude to Rtn. Michael Ratcliffe, Haramead Trust Rotary Club of Winchester, Rotary Club Guildford, Rtn. Chris Blow, CB & H H Taylor 1984 Trust, Rtn. Samar Das, Rtn. John Miles, Rtn. Binod Khaitan, Sri & Smt. B.K. Birla and other generous donors for supporting us to set up this building- The Temple of Service- for those who need us the most. the needy patients

I also express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Trustees of Rotary Club of Hooghly Welfare Trust, members of Rotary Club of Hooghly and the donors for the faith and trust they reposed in me and provided me this unique opportunity to make our dream real. It is a unique experience and achievement for me. I thank Almighty God for blessing and entrusting me with the execution of such a noble project. Once again thank you all who have supported the
project.