Prayagraj, Dec 8 (NationPress) Millions of devotees are expected to congregate for the largest religious event globally, Mahakumbh, starting on January 13, 2025, along the holy banks of Sangam in Teerthraj Prayagraj.
In addition to establishing a comprehensive pilgrimage framework, the Yogi Adityanath government has prioritized the health of pilgrims by launching Netra Kumbh, a unique initiative focused on eye care.
Covering an area of nine acres, Netra Kumbh aims to conduct eye examinations for over 500,000 devotees and to distribute 300,000 pairs of glasses simultaneously.
Furthermore, eye patients requiring surgical procedures will be identified during these assessments.
They will be assisted in undergoing free surgeries at hospitals located near their residences.
This initiative is made possible through agreements with over 150 hospitals nationwide.
Kavindra Pratap Singh, chairman of the Netra Kumbh organizing committee, noted that this is the first time in the history of Mahakumbh that patients referred for eye surgeries will have the opportunity to receive free surgeries at hospitals in their home districts.
"After the examinations, patients will be given referral cards, with one card sent to the relevant hospital and the other to Saksham, the organizing body of Netra Kumbh. Patients or Saksham representatives can coordinate the surgeries based on convenience, both during and after the fair," he stated.
Kavindra Pratap Singh characterized Mahakumbh as a symbol of social harmony and emphasized that Netra Kumbh signifies a mass eye treatment Mahayagna aimed at addressing vision-related concerns among devotees.
He confirmed that Indian Army doctors will also volunteer their services at no cost, providing free examinations, medications, and refreshments to eye patients.
Netra Kumbh was first introduced in 2019 and has expanded significantly since then. During the 2019 Kumbh, the event was recorded in the Limca Book of World Records for providing glasses to 150,000 people and examining 300,000 patients.
This year, the scale of Netra Kumbh is anticipated to surpass previous records, aiming to become the largest event for eye examinations and glasses distribution in any religious or medical gathering globally.
Dr. Kirtika Agarwal, media coordinator for Netra Kumbh, announced that the initiative will be located in the fair area near Nagvasuki Temple in Sector 6.
Netra Kumbh will operate daily from January 12 to February 26, excluding the main bathing festival.
She added that around 150 doctors from outside the region will provide their services over the 45 days of Netra Kumbh, accompanied by 400 additional medical staff.
Daily, 40 doctors will manage the Outpatient Department (OPD) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with an extension until 4 p.m. if necessary.
In addition to the 40 doctors in the OPD, there will be more than 500 optometrists, with 100 providing services daily. This combined team of 200 medical professionals and volunteers will be available to examine and treat eye patients daily throughout the fair.
