Dr. Daljit Singh (1934–2017) was a true trailblazer in Indian medicine—a man whose steady hands and bold vision restored sight to thousands and forever changed eye care in the country.

Born on October 11, 1934, in Amritsar, Punjab, young Daljit grew up in a time when cataract surgery often meant thick glasses or a life of blurred shadows. He studied at Khalsa School, then Khalsa College, and earned his MBBS from Government Medical College, Amritsar in 1956. After a brief stint teaching pharmacology and physiology, he dove into ophthalmology, completing his MS in 1963. What followed was over five decades dedicated to eyes—teaching at medical colleges in Amritsar and Patiala, serving in rural areas, and eventually running his own hospital.

In the mid-1970s, the world was just beginning to embrace intraocular lens (IOL) implants after cataract removal—a game-changer that let patients see clearly without those Coke-bottle lenses. Most Indian surgeons were still hesitant; the technique was new, risky, and resources were scarce. But Dr. Singh saw the future.

In 1976, he became the first in India to successfully introduce and perform IOL implantation. He didn’t stop there. In 1979, he pioneered the Singh-Worst iris claw lens (a design now globally recognized), performing thousands of these procedures and training over 450 surgeons across India. His work sparked what many call the “lens implant revolution” here.

Imagine this scene in his Amritsar clinic one day in the late 1970s:

A nervous elderly patient sits on the examination chair, hands trembling.
“Doctor Sahib, will I really see my grandchildren’s faces clearly again? No more thick glasses?”

Dr. Singh, calm and reassuring, leans in with a gentle smile.
“Ji, bilkul. We’re putting a new lens right inside the eye—small, natural-feeling. You’ll see the world as it should be. Trust me, I’ve done this before, and we’ll do it together.”

The patient nods, tears in his eyes. After the surgery, when the bandages come off:
“Waheguru! Colors… so bright! I can read the clock on the wall!”

Dr. Singh just pats the man’s shoulder. “That’s why we keep pushing forward. One clear sight at a time.”

He operated on high-profile figures too, including President Giani Zail Singh in 1985 (using the iris claw lens), and served as an honorary surgeon to him. Yet his hospital, established in 1985, became legendary for a simple rule: no patient turned away for lack of money. He treated the poor with the same precision and care as VIPs.

Beyond surgery, he was a prolific author of influential books on ophthalmology, a poet, activist, and even dabbled in politics later in life. His contributions earned him the Padma Shri in 1987 and the prestigious Dr. B. C. Roy Award in 1994 (often called India’s highest medical honor).

Dr. Daljit Singh passed away on December 27, 2017, at 83, after a brief illness—but his legacy lives on through the Dr. Daljit Singh Eye Hospital in Amritsar and in every person who sees clearly because of his courage and compassion.

A true visionary doctor, Sikh pride, and medical pioneer who believed restoring sight was the greatest service. 🌟