A new eye hospital in Durgapur is aiming to make the West Burdwan industrial city an option for Bengal residents seeking intensive eye care, a health sector dominated by hospitals in south India.

Dvita Eye Care opened its doors on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by its founder, cardiac surgeon Satyajit Bose, who had earlier founded the Durgapur Mission Hospital.

Speaking at the event, Bose said: “A lot of people who go to south India for eye care won’t have to go so far anymore. The destination for modern eye care in Bengal is Dvita Eye Hospital. From modern, futuristic technology and experienced doctors to the ambience inside, the hospital will provide a different level of care. We can operate 90 patients a day at this establishment.”

Hospital officials said that though there were several dedicated eye care units in south Bengal, Dvita’s “facilities and equipment” would set it apart.

A source said that setting up a modern eye hospital in Durgapur was important because of the steel town’s demography.

“Many aged residents need to travel to Calcutta or southern states to get their eyes treated. This apart, during the pandemic, eye problems increased among all age groups owing to the massive increase in screen time. This facility will help everyone,” a source said.

“The hospital is headed by ophthalmologists Priyansha Chatterjee and Krishna Kanta Roy, who are brilliant surgeons,” the source added.

Bose said that he had started planning for the eye hospital after setting up Durgapur Mission Hospital in 2008 to fill gaps in healthcare infrastructure of Bengal’s smaller towns.