The flood-prone area of Khanakul in Hooghly, West Bengal, is plagued by socio-economic challenges and a struggling healthcare system. The situation was particularly grim for those with failing eyesight who were resigned to a life of blindness from an early age. However, Helan Lions Club, District 322C1, refused to allow their community members to live in darkness.
Since its establishment in 2014, Helan Lions Club has prioritized eye care in the region. In 2017, they established a permanent vision centre that initially operated twice a week, providing affordable services to the general public and free care to the underprivileged. Through regular programs and monthly free eye screening camps, they brought eye care to the doorsteps of the community. The vision centre is now open six days a week.
In 2017, the club launched an ambitious project to create blindness-free villages in collaboration with the Jamalpur Lions Seva Eye Hospital. They adopted 29 villages and conducted a comprehensive door-to-door survey, assessing the eye health of residents.
The survey revealed a startling fact: only 16% of those needing eye care were receiving it, while the rest were heading towards blindness without treatment.
The survey also brought to light the plight of elderly individuals, often neglected by their families despite needing critical eye care.
There was a lot of resistance, even when free cataract surgery was available. The club worked relentlessly to raise awareness and build trust, engaging local health workers, ICDS workers, and community clubs.
There were many obstacles to overcome, but club members persisted and in 2019, they achieved their first milestone: the village of Kismat Khedail in Arambagh block was officially declared a blindness-free village. Surgeries and treatments restored the sight of many residents.
When COVID-19 hit, their work paused—but the club pivoted to virus awareness and safety kit distribution before resuming their mission.
By 2024, three more villages—Raghunathpur, Kalimba, and Sreerampur—were declared blindness-free. Raghunathpur holds special significance as the former residence of social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
This year, another three villages, Gobindapur, Senpur and Gourangapur joined the rank of blindness-free villages.
Refusing to rest on its laurels, the Helan Lions Club has established a two-story, 2,000-square-foot eye hospital on a plot of over 5,200 square feet. The 10-bed facility, equipped with modern facilities, is awaiting government approval and is expected to become operational by July 2025. Once functional, the Helan Lions Eye Hospital will spare patients the 60-kilometer journey to Jamalpur for surgery.
For the Helan Lions Club, the hospital represents both achievement and beginning. With support from members, leadership, community, and Lions Clubs International Foundation, the Helan Lions Club continues working toward their goal: no one in their community should lose sight when it can be prevented.