One of the most renowned retina surgeons in Eastern India Dr Birendra Prasad Kashyap has plunged into the electoral battle from Ranchi Assembly constituency this election. The seat being one of the safest seats for BJP in Jharkhand and a challenging constituency for the JMM and Congress, will perhaps for the first time witness the entry of a highly skilled medical professional in the political arena, said experts.

The Ranchi seat is being continuously won by BJP’s Chandreshwar Prasad Singh since 1996. Dr BP Kashyap (67), who has treated over 1.86 lakh patients of Ranchi in his career spanning over 40 years, aims to serve the society with a new role. He wants to build a network of infrastructure in Ranchi, especially in the field of health and roads. Creating employment for locals, providing basic amenities to the residents would be his priorities.

Dr Kashyap's father Dr Bharat Prasad Kashyap conducted the first eye transplant in unified Bihar. Dr BP Kashyap established Jharkhand's largest super specialty eye hospital in Ranchi that has specialist doctors for cornea, retina and eye tumor, cancer and glaucoma. Treatment of even the most serious eye diseases is done in the hospital.

On an average 100 eye transplants are performed every year at Dr Kashyap's hospital. In January 1996, he started ‘Eye Donation Awareness Campaign’ with the help of his wife Dr Bharti Kashyap. The first eye donation and eye transplantation became possible in Jharkhand with their efforts. The doctor couple also established the Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank in the year 2002.

Dr Kashyap and his wife Dr Bharti Kashyap have till date treated eyes of over 20 lakh children studying in government schools, given them free spectacles and medicines. He also organises free eye camps in far off areas of the State including Kolhan, Santhal Pargana, Palamu, Saranda, Khunti and other remote areas.

Dr BP Kashyap has been awarded the Gold Medal and the honorary degree of Phaco. On August 3 this year, he was awarded the ISCKRS Excellence Award in New Delhi for his excellent work in the field of eye disease treatment. His son Dr Vibhuti Kashyap, who is a Vitreo Retina Specialist from AIIMS New Delhi, sent the highest research data of diabetic retinopathy from Jharkhand to the All India Eye Society in the year 2019. For this, he was honoured by the society. Dr Bharti Kashyap has been honoured with many awards including 'Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017' by President of India.

Achievements of Dr BP Kashyap

* First retina treatment in Ranchi in 1984

* Only retina surgeon in Jharkhand-Bihar between 1984 and 2004

* Retina treatment of premature babies since 2003

* Intravitreal injection for retina treatment since 2006

* Brought Constellation machine for retina surgery to Jharkhand

* Brought Electrophysiology machine for retina treatment to Jharkhand in 2018

* Started clinical trials of retina medicines in 2021

* Started Jharkhand's only nationally recognized training facility in 2022