Bharti Kashyap (born 15 May 1967) Navigating Health Care Reform in Jharkhand From a crusader against blindness to Cervical cancer activist the extraordinary success and figures of cervical cancer eradication campaign, eye donation awareness campaign, diabetic retinopathy screening, “Jyot Se Jyot Jalao” campaign[1] and vision protection campaign being run in Jharkhand over the past three decades by Dr. Bharti Kashyap is a testament to the fact that she has carried out the campaigns with full devotion and dedication and has successfully achieved the set targets.
Nari Shakti puruskar Awardee Dr Bharti Kashyap is an Indian ophthalmologist and great family and child welfare social worker in Jharkhand, also known as vision and Janni suraksha Lady. She is honoured with Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2017 by hon'ble president of India and is a five-time recipient of the National IMA Award for the welfare of the underprivileged section of society
Career
Ophthalmologist Dr Bharti Kashyap is founder director of NABH accredited Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital. She is also Medical Director of Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank which has credit of[2] maximum cornea transplantation in Bihar & Jharkhand. She is Chairman Scientific Committee of Jharkhand Ophthalmological Society. She was National Co-Chairperson of Women Doctors’ Wing Indian Medical Association HQ. She is currently Chairperson of WDW IMA Jharkhand.
She specializes in Femto Laser Bladeless Cataract and Lasik surgery. She completed MBBS (Honours in three subjects), MS (Ophthalmology)from RMCH, Jharkhand and did Fellowship in Cornea from LV Prasad eye institute Hyderabad and Medical Retina training from Arvind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore.
Recognition
Dr.Bharti Kashyap has been conferred with national awards like Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017[3][4] for women empowerment by Hon’ble President of India, Gold Medal from Bombay Ophthalmic Association in year 2023 for exemplary work in the field of ophthalmology, Excellence Award by National IMA 2022 on National Doctor's Day, Dr Kanak Goel Award by National IMA for Safe Motherhood Project, Dr A. K. N. Sinha IMA Rashtriya Samman, 2023, Dr Jyoti Prasad Ganguly Memorial Award 2021 by National IMA for Cervical cancer eradication campaign, Eye donation campaign and Vision for Jharkhand Campaign. IIRSI Gold Medal 2019 for excellence in Cataract Refractive Surgery, Women Empowerment Award 2018 by National Women Doctors’ Wing IMA, Best Community Ophthalmology Award 2017 by Women Ophthalmologists Society of India. Doctor of the Year Award by the National Indian Medical Association on National Doctor’s Day 2017 for exemplary community services, Association of Community Ophthalmologist of India Award for successful implementation of Indian National Programme for Control of Blindness in 2015, Med Achiever Award 2014 by National IMA for founding NABH Accredited Eye Super Speciality Hospital, Leadership development Award by All India Ophthalmic Society in 2008 and Best Cataract Surgery Camp Award 2007 by All India Milli Council.
She was one of the 6 women invited by Hon’ble Narendra Modi at Chai pe Charcha, organized to focus on women empowerment on international women’s day 2014.
She has been conferred with many International Awards. Amongst those awards are The British Excellence Award 2018, Recognition Award by American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery foundation 2017 and Recognition Awards by Service Beyond Borders, USA, for extraordinary contribution towards women empowerment amongst primitive tribal and underprivileged women in Jharkhand for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Her State level awards include Award by State IMA Jharkhand in 2018 for Excellence in Medical Services, Women Empowerment Award 2018 by Women Doctors’ Wing IMA Jharkhand, Award by IPS Officers’ Wives Association, Jharkhand in 2017 for Admirable contribution to the Society, Start up India Award, 2016, felicitation for exemplary work in Cervical Cancer and Anemia Prevention Campaign, 2016, Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board award, 2014, Women Achiever Award, 2014, Best Doctor Award, 2012, Pratibha Samman, 2012, Jharkhand Ratna Award,2010, Successful Women Entrepreneurship Award, 2009, IMA Award, 2009, D.K. Bose Gold Medal, 2002 and Dukhan Ram Oration Award, 1996.
Personal life
Kashyap was born on May 15, 1967. She studied MBBS, MS (Ophthalmology) and Fellow in Cornea. She together with her husband Dr Birendra Prasad Kashyap has established NABH accredited Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital in Ranchi, Jharkhand.[5] Her Family has been pioneers in the field of professional eye care in eastern India. With a unique legacy of five decades and four generations of providing quality eye care to the community. The privileged ancestry of Dr Bharti Kashyap[6] traces back to the likes of Late (Prof.) Dr. Bharat Prasad Kashyap (her Father in Law), the then Prof. and H.O.D in RMCH and Late (Prof.) Dr. Vinod Shankar Gupta (Father), the then Prof. Of Ophthalmology in DMCH. Both Dr. Bharat Prasad Kashyap and Dr. V. S. Gupta were toddlers under Late (Prof) Dr. T. B. Gupta (Grand Father of Dr. Bharti Kashyap) , Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, U.K. who was Prof. and H.O.D of Eye Department in Darbhanga Medical College Hospital and later obliged the pristine list of Director, Health of unified Bihar.
Social Campaigns
Bharti Kashyap is ensuring a lifetime of healthy vision in rural jharkhand: combating blindness in rural jharkhand,[7] It all began in 1995, when as a PG student at the then Rajendra Medical College and Hospital, Ranchi, (Now renamed Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi),She conducted the first ever eye screening of some 10,000 children, enrolled in state run schools, at Ramgarh, 45 kms away from Ranchi. The results of the sample eye screening startled her - rampant Vitamin A deficiency and a high incidence of uncorrected refractive errors, squints, lazy eye, conjuvital genital and traumatic cataract and use of wrong eye glasses, eye infections probably gifted by some generous agency. Parents of these children, simply forced their children to drop out from schools, as a precaution, to save the little ones, from injuring themselves. to combat high school dropout rates, dr kashyap began organising free eye camps in every district of jharkhand, to address the main causes of avoidable blindness in jharkhand, bringing quality eye care at the door steps of people, who needed it most. at every camp, she distributed thousands of vitamin a tablets, provided treatment for eye infections at camp sites, and gifted eye glasses to men, women and children, to correct refraction errors, all for free. for those needing surgical interventions, she ferried all, to her base hospital- kashyap memorial eye hospital at Ranchi, for free cataract removal. Till date, Dr.Bharti Kashyap has screened the eyes of around 20 lakh school children,[8] enrolled in state run schools across Jharkhand in association with Jharkhand Shiksha Pariyojna. Not only school going children, the list of beneficiaries of Dr.Kashyap's numerous eye camps include primitive tribes, victims of human trafficking, newspaper hawkers, diabetics, old age home residents, slum dwellers, spastics, sportswomen and even truck drivers. Dr.Bharti Kashyap, in association with the Social Welfare Department, Government of Jharkhand, has also undertaken eye screening of around 3000 sportsmen, both boys and girls, mostly from the impoverished and forgotten sections of the people. The State of Jharkhand has gifted numerous hockey players to the national men and women teams. Eye screening of sportsmen up would enable budding boys and girls to improve their performances and even have a swipe at the gold,silver and bronze medals at national and international sports events.
To break the taboo of Eye donations Dr Kashyap duo launched the first ever eye donation campaign in the then unified Bihar Jharkhand, to dispel hesitation regarding eye donation. Their efforts bore fruit, when on 4 January 1996, they received the first posthumous eye donation of Late Harishankar Prasad in the state. Later they got institutional membership from Eye Bank Association of India for cornea transplantation in 1996. Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank was founded in the year 2002. The Eye Bank has around 1000 Corneal Transplantation to its credit, mostly free under Ayushman Bharat. From Awareness programs to Walkathons and Blindfolded Marathons over the past 32 years.
To lend teeth to her fight against blindness, she has trained thousands of school teachers working in government schools all over the state, in primary vision testing, detection of cataracts, Vitamin A deficiency, etc.
Dr.Bharti Kashyap has also been training FB.Sc Optometry students through various Paramedical Courses affiliated to B.Sc Internship Training program and State level Councils and DNB courses in ophthalmology thereby creating a pool of trained manpower for the State of Jharkhand to reach the goal of reducing prevalence of blindness from 0.8% to 0.3% under the Vision 2020 programme. In the field of ophthalmology, she has pioneered use of world’s latest innovation in cataract surgery (Femto Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery), in the Bihar and Jharkhand. Using World’s latest Femto Laser bladeless Lasik surgery, she has provided spectacle free vision[9] to the needy youth and crafted their future. She also has the maximum number of international presentations to her credit in the field of Ophthalmology from State of Jharkhand.
An eminent ophthalmologist, Dr.Bharti Kashyap, has been transcending boundaries after becoming Chairperson, Women Doctors’ Wing, IMA Jharkhand to make rural women aware of the need to take better care of themselves and educating them on personal hygiene by organising free Women Mega Health Camps, Anemia and Cervical Cancer Detection Camps throughout the length and breadth of Jharkhand are being organized by her.
At all Mega Health camps, women were educated on nutrition, anaemia, personal hygiene, safe sex etc. Women were also trained to look out for early warning signs - white foul smelling discharge repeated genital infections, irregular menstruation, post coital and post menopausal bleeding, lower abdominal and back pain etc. - all vital symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease precursor of pre cervical cancer.
In 2015, realising that much was needed to be done in very short time periods, Dr.Kashyap got in touch with Gynae oncologists from Chittaranjan Cancer Institute, Kolkata, and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre and Max Hospital, New Delhi to impart training to all gynaecologists employed with the state health services on use of Cryo Machines and Colposcope for early detection and cure of cervical cancer.
Dr Kashyap's major contribution in the field of women empowerment and her battle against cervical cancer was in 2021, when she successfully convinced the state government to agree to a proposal of evolving an easier to implement a "Jharkhand Model", a multi pronged low cost yet effective strategy, modifying the 3rd part of WHO strategy of cervical cancer eradication, to suit Jharkhand's requirements.
Jharkhand emerges as Pioneer State in Cervical Cancer[10] Eradication Campaign through Jharkhand Model.
As the fight against world’s second deadliest form of cancer continues across the nation, Jharkhand has emerged as a pioneer State in the cervical cancer eradication campaign in India. The fact was validated in a review meeting of Health Dept., Government of Jharkhand and Women Doctors’ Wing Indian Medical Association Jharkhand chaired by Additional Chief Secretary of State Health department, where it was revealed that a total of 2,90,871 women in the symptomatic, reproductive and high risk categories throughout the state, have been screened for cervical cancer,[11] in 2 years and 8 months, against a target of 2,70, 684 between April 2021 and November 2023.
Achievements
Empowering Women Of Jharkhand : Since 2015, Dr Kashyap has been empowering rural women, by organising Women Health Camps throughout Jharkhand, educating them on anaemia, genital hygiene, signs and symptoms, risk factors of cervical cancer stressing on the need to take better care of themselves.
Making a large network of trained Gynaecologists across Jharkhand: Gynae oncologists from Chittaranjan Cancer Institute, Kolkata, and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre and Max Hospital, New Delhi are continuously being invited to Jharkhand for imparting training to all gynaecologists employed with the state health services on use of Cryo Machines and Digital Video Colposcope for early detection and cure of cervical cancer.
Spearheading Cervical Cancer Eradication : Dr Kashyap, in association with the state health department, has been spearheading Jharkhand’s battle against Cervical Cancer, by organising free Cervical Cancer Detection and pre cancer colposcopy guided cryo treatment Camps throughout Jharkhand and in the state run Sadar Hospitals. Oncogynaecologists from metro cities are also roped in to train government gynaecologists across Jharkhand to lend more teeth to the cervical cancer eradication campaigns. She is strengthening in infrastructure for cervical cancer eradication due to her efforts 14 big government hospitals across Jharkhand are equipped with digital colposcope and Cryo set.
To speed up cervical cancer screening of women in the reproductive age group, Dr.Kashyap , in her personal capacity, donated a Digital Video Colposcope with computer and Cryo set to Sadar Hospital at Ranchi. Due to her efforts 14 big government hospitals across Jharkhand have been equipped with digital colposcope and Cryo set.
Jharkhand Model for Cervical cancer eradication : Dr Kashyap has facilitated evolving the first ever “Jharkhand Model” and state government accepted her suggestions in 2021 for making compulsory screening of 6 percent women in reproductive age with suggestive symptoms or high risk category for cervical cancer turning up at State hospitals. A total 2,90,871 of reproductive age group women in the symptomatic, and high risk categories throughout the state, have been screened for cervical cancer, the second largest killer of women worldwide, between April 2021 and November 2023, against a target of 2,70,684.
The Jharkhand Model
While the first two parts of WHO 90-70-90 cervical cancer elimination strategy 2030 insisted on a 90 percent vaccination coverage of all young girls till age of 19 in the reproductive age group, and screening of 70% women of reproductive age group by hi tech technology, the Jharkhand Model was developed on the basis of the third part of WHO 90-70-90 strategy which suggests that 90% reproductive age group women suffering from pelvic inflammatory disease should be diagnosed and treated for eradication of cervical cancer. After multiple webinars of NHM and Women Doctors Wing, IMA, Jharkhand, attended by noted Gynae Oncologists of India the fact came out that 6% women of reproductive age group suffer from pelvic inflammatory diseases and if we screen this targeted group of reproductive age group women, we will be able to screen 100% women suffering from pelvic inflammatory disease, the revelation turned out to be the base of the Jharkhand model.
A low cost Jharkhand module was prepared for mandatory screening of 6 percent women of the reproductive age group in the high risk category for cervical cancer and those suffering from symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease with the help of Sahiya network. Dr Kashyap’s war against cervical cancer got a major push after the State Government accepted her recommendations of a “Jharkhand Model” in to, directed holding of screening camps in all districts and even went a step further to fixed cervical cancer camps twice monthly and annual screening targets for all districts across Jharkhand in 2021.
The Jharkhand Model further suggested that all women turning up at State run government hospitals for three months post delivery check ups along with their accompanying female relatives be also screened for cervical cancer, to achieve the desired goal of a cervical cancer free Jharkhand, within a fixed time frame. By this 100% women of reproductive age group suffering from pelvic inflammatory disease can be screened.
A review meeting of the State Health, medical education and family welfare department and Women Doctors’ Wing IMA Jharkhand held in November 2023, that was chaired by Arun Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, health, Govt. of Jharkhand revealed that a total of 2,90,187 reproductive age group women in the symptomatic, and high risk categories throughout the state, have been screened for cervical cancer, the second largest killer of women worldwide, between April 2021 and November 2023, against a target of 2,70,684. While praising Women Doctors Wing, IMA, Jharkhand led by Dr.Bharti Kasshyap, for commendable work in the field of cervical cancer screening in Jharkhand, the Additional Chief Secretary cum Health Secretary directed that Women Doctors Wing be made an official partner of the National Health Mission in cervical cancer eradication programme.
The Jharkhand Model carved by Dr.Bharti Kashyap is evolving as the gold standard in Cervical Cancer eradication. As a result of Dr.Kashyap’s initiatives, Jharkhand, today, is fast on its way to becoming the first cervical cancer free state in the country.
Impact Of Work Done
Health secretary has proposed WDW IMA[12] Jharkhand led by Dr Bharti Kashyap an official partner of NHM, Jharkhand: Jharkhand on way to evolve as the first Cervical Cancer free state in the country with the Jharkhand Model created by WDW IMA Jharkhand led by her Following up on Dr Kashyap's recommendations of a JHARKHAND MODEL in 2021 the State Health Department, for the first time in history, has launched an intensive cervical cancer screening programme all over the state by fixing annual screening targets for all state run Sadar hospitals across Jharkhand.
As per the Jharkhand Model prepared in 2021 by Women Doctors Wing IMA Jharkhand and Health Department, Government of Jharkhand, the target of screening of 6% reproductive age group women suffering from pelvic inflammatory disease was 2,70,684 and a total of 2,90,187 reproductive age group women in the symptomatic, and high risk categories throughout the state, have been screened for cervical cancer,[13] the second largest killer of women worldwide, between April 2021 and October 2023, against a target of 2,70,684.
Saved thousands of women from Cervical Cancer:[14] Mega Women Health Camps for Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening and Anaemia Detection that have been organised across the rural areas of Jharkhand since 2015, focusing on screening, treatment of pelvic inflammatory diseases, and Digital Video Colposcope guided VIA screening and Cryo treatment of cervical pre cancer at camp sites, by reputed gynae oncologists from all over the country, ensured quality healthcare facilities to the needy, at their door steps, helping save thousands of lives of women.
As a result of Dr.Kashyap's relentless campaign against cervical cancer, 14 government hospitals across Jharkhand have now been equipped with digital colposcope and Cryo set for detection and cure of cervical cancer. She has equipped the largest Sadar Hospital of Jharkhand that is the Ranchi Sadar Hospital with Digital Video Colposcope and Cryo set by her own finances.
Spreading hope in people and society: The most noticeable impact of Dr.Kashyap's relentless campaign against blindness in rural Jharkhand has been that thousands of children, who had earlier dropped out of schools as a results of their untreated eye ailments, rejoined their schools, after being provided free eye care treatment including free power glasses and surgeries for cataract removal,by Dr.Kashyap. She has screened 20 lakhs school going children with the help of Jharkhand Shiksha Pariyojna.
Add to this, thousands of men and women in rural areas, primitive tribes, victims of human trafficking, newspaper hawkers, diabetics, old age home residents, slum dwellers, spastics, sports men and women and even truck drivers, who were provided with quality eye care, have found gainful occupations for themselves.
Dr.Kashyap and her initiatives have helped create happy households across Jharkhand.
Breaking taboos around eye donation: Igniting that 'spark', motivating people to overcome apprehensions and donate the eyes of their deceased loved ones, over the past 32 years, Dr.Kashyap has not only helped grieving families to work their way out of grief but have helped donors join hands with hitherto. For breaking religious and social taboos surrounding Eye Donation,[15] a group of likeminded people committed to promote Eye Donation Awareness[16] was found on 4 June 2004 by her and was named Eye Donation Awareness Club (EyeDAC).
EyeDAC organises various awareness programmes from walkathons to Blindfolded Marathons since 2005. The continued eye donation awareness programs and yearly Run for Vision, Blindfolded Marathons encouraged people and families to pledge their eyes and even donate the eyes of their deceased family members. It has turned the onetime small campaign into a mass movement.
Encouraged by the efforts of the society, many Past Hon’ble Governors of Jharkhand, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, Shri Ramesh Bais, Shri Ved Marvah, Shri M. O. H. Farook, Shri Syed Ahmed, many Chief Ministers of Jharkhand, Hon’ble Shri Babulal Marandi, Shri Arjun Munda, Shri Shibu Soren, Shri Hemant Soren and many Health Ministers of Jharkhand, Shri Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Shri Ramchandra Chandravanshi, Shri Banna Gupta have not only participated in our Eye Donation Awareness Programs but also pleadged for eye donation. This has brought a massive positive response towards eye donation.
Core member of Institutional Ethics Committee of Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital registered under CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) to promote high ethical standards in research for ophthalmology. Founder Director of Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital, Ranchi, NABH accredited for four consecutive terms since Feb 2009 and providing masses of Jharkhand best quality treatment at affordable cost.
Brought latest diagnostic and surgical innovations in the field of Ophthalmology. Pioneered use of worlds latest innovation in cataract and lasik surgery, femto laser assisted cataract and lasik surgery has crafted the future of many youth by spectacle free vision. Chief instructor in Technical Skill Transfer Courses 2017 and 2018 in All India Ophthalmological Society conferences.
International Exposure
Dr. Bharti Kashyap Has maximum number of international presentations to her credit in the field of Ophthalmology from State of Jharkhand.
American Society of Cataract and Refractive SurgerySan Diego 2019, Washington DC 2018 and Los Angeles, California 2017. European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Paris 2019, Vienna 2018, Lisbon 2017, Copenhagen 2016, Barcelona 2015.
American Academy of Ophthalmology Chicago, IL 2016. Asia Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Bali and Taipei 2016. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology ARVO, USA 2013 and 2012.
Has played role in strengthening knowledge of ophthalmologists of Jharkhand by organizing workshops on Cornea, OT Design and Protocol, Tips and Tricks in Femto laser cataract and Lasik surgery, Vitreo Retinal surgery and Glaucoma and Retinopathy of Prematurity 2007 to 2019.
As chairperson scientific committee Jharkhand ophthalmological society, she is continuously strengthening the knowledge of Jharkhand based ophthalmologists by organising teaching webinars and ophthalmic conferences.
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