Patna: Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital in Mastichak, Saran, has become the state’s first healthcare facility to operate entirely on green energy, following the installation of an 800 kW solar power plant. The initiative, supported through a Rs. 10.5 crore corporate social responsibility (CSR) contribution by the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC), was inaugurated by Bihar Education Minister Sunil Kumar on Saturday.
The solar facility, now functional at Akhand Jyoti’s new Centre of Excellence campus, is expected to save Rs. 1.5 crore annually in electricity costs funds that will be redirected to support 5,000 free eye surgeries each year for underprivileged patients.
The event also saw the inauguration of a newly built 200-bed girls’ hostel, part of the hospital’s Football to Eyeball programme a residential education and training scheme aimed at empowering rural girls through optometry. Under the five-year programme, girls undergo a one-year foundation course followed by a four-year optometry degree, with guaranteed employment at the hospital upon completion.
According to hospital CEO Mrityunjay Tiwari, 725 girls have already been enrolled, and the programme aims to reach 1,500 over the next five years. Each trained optometrist, he said, screens up to 10,000 individuals annually, significantly expanding rural eye care access.
GIC CMD Narayanan Ramaswami praised the hospital’s service-oriented model and reaffirmed GIC’s commitment to continued support. “Akhand Jyoti’s world-class medical system and dedication to rural service compelled us to contribute further,” he said.
Looking ahead, Akhand Jyoti plans to transition all its facilities including five hospitals and 45 vision centres to solar energy, in what the hospital calls a major step towards environmental sustainability.
In addition, Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital will partner with the Bihar Education Department to scale up its school screening efforts under the Baldrishti initiative. The programme has already screened 1.75 lakh children, with over 1,200 undergoing free corrective surgeries. Further expansion across government schools is expected in the coming months.
