Saran: Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital, based in the rural heartland of Mastichak, Saran, has received formal recognition from the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to offer postgraduate training in ophthalmology through the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) programme. From 2025, five medical students will be enrolled annually—three from MBBS backgrounds and two from diploma holders in ophthalmology—marking a major milestone in the hospital’s evolution from a modest rural eye care centre to a nationally recognised institution of higher medical education.
Dr Ajit Poddar, the hospital’s medical director, confirmed the development, explaining that admissions will be determined through NBEMS’s All India Competitive Examination merit list. “Priority will be given to the two diploma holders. Should either of these seats remain unclaimed, they will be converted to accommodate MBBS graduates,” he said. The DNB course will span three years for MBBS students and two years for those joining with a diploma qualification.
The accreditation is a result of meeting rigorous quality standards set by NBEMS, said Dr Afroz Alam, DNB coordinator at the hospital. “This recognition reinforces our commitment to medical excellence and allows us to contribute meaningfully to the postgraduate training of ophthalmologists in the region.”
Beyond its newly-accredited DNB programme, Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital already offers 17 fellowship seats—15 in comprehensive ophthalmology and two in retinal subspecialties. Dr Rajvardhan Azad, chair of the hospital’s Clinical Advisory Board and a prominent figure in Indian ophthalmology, noted that the institution is currently conducting over 700 eye surgeries daily. “With 11 super-specialty departments, 50-plus trained ophthalmologists, and a sprawling infrastructure that includes 17 operation theatres, the environment is ideal for advanced clinical training, research, and patient care,” he said.
The hospital also runs a degree course in optometry and operates a network of 45 vision centres across Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, extending its reach into some of India’s most underserved communities.
Founded in 2005 by the Yugrishi Shriram Sharma Acharya Charitable Trust, Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital began as a 10-bed facility housed within the precincts of Gayatri Mandir. Inspired by Acharya Shriram Sharma and brought to life by his disciples Pandit Rameshchandra Shukla and Mrityunjay Tiwari, it has since grown into a 750-bed institution, comprising a 250-bed unit in its original campus and a 500-bed Centre of Excellence.
With additional branches in Purnia, Samastipur, and Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, the hospital has become one of the largest and most respected eye care providers in the region—now poised to become a centre of academic excellence as well.
