The hospital is named after Dr. Sohan Singh who was a gifted teacher of Ophthalmology and an exceptionally talented eye surgeon, apart from being a philanthropist, educationist, sportsman, connoisseur of music and a lovable a family man.
Those were the days of British rule in India. The British government of the day conferred upon him the personal title of Sardar Bahadur and appointed him honorary eye surgeon to the Viceroy of India in recognition of his outstanding professional services and achievements. His eagerness to see Indian Ophthalmology come upto world standards made him travel far and wide to places such as London, Vienna, Berlin and Paris to make himself familiar with the latest advances in the treatment of eye diseases.
Sardar Bahadur Dr. Sohan Singh passed away in 1961 and his Ophthalmologist son Dr. Ranbir Singh stepped into his father’s shoes in the hope of being able to maintain the standard set by his illustrious father.
Dr. Ranbir Singh received part of his post-graduate training in the Moorfield’s Eye Hospital, London where he specially concentrated on the subjects of squint and contact lenses. He retired as head of the department of Ophthalmology at the Medical College, Amritsar, in 1974, but maintained the tempo of his professional activities. Today at the age of 90 he is still active as a consultant.
Dr. Ranbir Singh’s son, Dr. Preetam Singh, is also a highly qualified Ophthalmologist in his own right. Dr. Preetam Singh did his Ophthalmology Post Graduation from Government Medical College, Amritsar and went on to do Super-Specialist Training Fellowship in Vitreo-Retinal Surgery under Padam Bhushan Dr. S.S. Badrinath in 1990 at the prestigious Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. The Vitreo-Retinal Surgery services that this Hospital is known for, were started by Dr. Preetam Singh on his return from Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai.
Although the hospital offers medical and surgical care for all kinds of eye ailments, it is specially known for surgeries involving the Retina – the highly sensitive and delicate film which lines the inside of the back wall of the eye. It is the function of the retina to perceive and register visual impressions reaching it from objects outside the eye. If, for any reason the retina gets detached from its bed, it begins to degenerate and lose its ability to perceive and register visual impulses reaching it from objects outside the eye. Irreversible visual damage may result if the detachment remains untreated for a long time. The required retina surgery in such cases involves delicate surgical procedures aimed at restoring eye sight by putting the detached retina back into its normal position. The hospital is a pioneer in this particular field of eye surgery in Northern India, having initiated it as long ago as March 1979.The first Retinal Detachment procedure in the hospital was done in March 1979 and the first Pars Plana Vitrectomy in October 1983. In the words of Dr. Preetam Singh, retinal conditions that were considered intractable a few years back, have now become treatable, thanks to the revolutionary advances in the knowledge and technology made during the course of past two decades.
And now, true to family tradition, Dr. Preetam Singh’s both sons Dr. Veer Singh and Dr. Arjan Singh, have also emerged as highly qualified and promising Ophthalmologists who have joined the hospital after doing their Super-Specialist Training Retina Surgery Fellowships like their Father from the prestigious Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai.
Apart from Ophthalmology, Dr. Preetam Singh is a keen aviator, linguist, marathon runner and a skier. He is equally proficient in spoken and written German & Russian. He is also a talented artist and a painter, a facet unknown to most.
The hospital offers a special long-term fellowship training program in Vitreo-Retina and has already imparted training to doctors from various parts of the country, as well as those from places as far away as Uzbekistan and Ghana. The hospital enjoys the privilege of hosting visiting Ophthalmologists from places all over the world such as USA, Europe, Africa etc.
Personal comforts and conveniences of patients receive special attention at the hands of the hospital staff. In the words of the Director, Chief Anaesthesiologist and Hospital Administrator, Dr. Reena Makhni, it is made clear to everyone who takes up service in this hospital that the patients’ needs and comforts must receive maximum attention to the exclusion of every other consideration. The hospital has special provisions for poor patients who cannot afford the usual cost of treatment.
In the light of ever growing needs and demands of its patients the hospital has now moved to a more suitable New Modern State of the Art Facility outside the walled city at 7- Shivala Bhaiyan, Batala Road, Amritsar, Punjab.
