A renowned ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), Dr. Alok Vyas trained in Japan in the groundbreaking surgical technique of phacoemulsification and has been a pioneer in this field. Since starting his private practice, Dr. Alok has facilitated 2,500 eye donations and performed over 1,200 corneal transplants. His specialization in cataract surgery and leadership in eye donation and transplantation have significantly impacted patients across Rajasthan.

Dr. Alok Vyas is a renowned Ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) in Udaipur.

Dr. Vyas completed his MBBS in 1975 and his Master’s Degree in Ophthalmology in 1979. He trained in Japan in the latest surgical technique called phacoemulsification, and worked under leading Indian ophthalmologists, including Dr. R.P. Dhanda, who is regarded as the Father of Eye Donation and Cornea Transplantation. After working in various positions, he started his private practice in 1987, which lasted until 2015.

Dr. Vyas is also a pioneer in eye donations and corneal transplantation in Udaipur. With support from the Lions Club International and Lions Club Udaipur, of which he is a member, he established an eye bank at his hospital. To date, they have facilitated 2,500 eye donations and performed over 1,200 corneal transplants for those in need.

During his participation in an international conference in New Delhi in 1986, Dr. Vyas met a Japanese surgeon whose surgical techniques fascinated him. He wrote to the surgeon, requesting that he wanted to learn his tips and tricks, and received approval. Dr. Alok Vyas then travelled to Nagoya, Japan, where he learned Phacoemulsification, a groundbreaking technique in eye surgery involving Intraocular Lens (IOL) Implantation. He recalls that, at that time, IOL was not widely accepted, even by senior surgeons. Despite this, he began practising IOL in 1983 at Zawar Mines in Hindustan Zinc Ltd's hospital, and has since been a torchbearer in this field for many years.

Dr. Alok Vyas recalls the story of a 13-year-old girl from Bhusawal, Maharashtra, who was referred to him by the Gayatri Parivar of Haridwar. The girl had only one functional eye, which was afflicted with corneal opacity, leaving her vision severely impaired. Dr. Alok operated on her, and she went on to complete her studies, eventually getting married and starting a family. She has remained in touch with him for over 30 years. Dr. Alok considers this surgery as one of his greatest achievements in the field. He notes that corneal surgeries are becoming increasingly common, with patients coming to him from across Rajasthan.

However, his journey into medicine didn’t come easy and had its own share of challenges. Dr. Alok shares that initially he didn’t get a good job. He worked in a Gujarat hospital for six months, after which he got a job in Haridwar, which was far off. His father advised him to take a job in Udaipur, and that was when he joined Hindustan Zinc Ltd. At Hindustan Zinc, he established an eye department and worked hard. However, later, Dr. Alok and a friend of his decided to establish a private practice in Udaipur. He also recalls getting requests for eye donations in situations of death in those times when there were no mobile phones which would make reachability difficult. Dr. Alok shares how difficult it was during those times to communicate with the waiting patient and perform eye transplantation in times when mobile phones had not surfaced.

Dr. Alok Vyas comes from a family of educators; both his father and mother held high positions in their respective fields. He had the opportunity to join Pacific medical College in Udaipur, where he worked as an educator for nine years. Approaching the retirement age of 70, he was granted an additional year to continue as a professor. His specialisation is in Cataract Surgery, and he is one of the pioneers of phacoemulsification and lens implantation in Rajasthan.

Discussing his inspiration for choosing Medicine as his profession, Dr. Vyas shares that his family has had a strong background in education. His paternal grandfather was extremely fond of studies and held a high position in Kushalgarh in Rajasthan before independence. His maternal grandfather was an agricultural scientist and earned his Ph.D. in the 1930s and 1940s. Dr. Alok's siblings are also highly qualified. Thus, considering the family environment, his father encouraged him to become a doctor. After qualifying as an MBBS doctor, he chose Ophthalmology as his specialisation. Fortunately, he was accepted for postgraduate training in 1976, and he has been in this field ever since.

When Dr. Alok Vyas started his clinic, a close friend of his encouraged him to conduct eye camps in the peripheral areas around Udaipur. They organised some camps and performed cataract surgeries on around 200 patients, after which his friend motivated him to join the Lions Club, Udaipur. Under the aegis of the Lions Club, and since he was qualified to perform eye donation and transplantation procedures, he established an eye bank in his hospital. He initially became the Secretary and then the President of the club, and later the Chairman of various committees focused on eye donations, eye camps, and polio awareness. While polio eradication was a significant campaign run by Rotary Clubs, his primary focus remained on helping the needy patients with cataract surgeries and knee transplants. In Pacific Medical College as well they have conducted medical camps and free surgeries to help the needy patients.

In the Lions organisation, Dr. Alok Vyas also served as the District  Secretary under the District Governor, Mr. R. L. Kunawat, who had been one of his motivators and mentors at the club. Later, Lion Kunawat motivated him to take the governorship of the Lions Club District which governed 160 Lions Clubs .

Reflecting on his early days, Dr. Alok Vyas shares that he was born in New Delhi and recalls his maternal grandfather working at the renowned Pusa Institute. Later, he and his family moved to Udaipur, where his mother worked at the Rajasthan Mahila Vidyalaya and his father was a third-grade teacher at Fateh School, Surajpole, Udaipur. They were subsequently promoted and transferred to Kota and later to Bikaner, where his father was designated as Assistant Director in the education department.

Dr. Alok then enrolled in the medical college in Bikaner, and for his postgraduate studies, he moved to Udaipur to study at R.N.T. Medical College. He has also worked with Bharat Heavy Electricals and Hindustan Zinc Ltd. Thereafter, he spent a few days in Saudi Arabia, but found the lack of surgical work there disappointing, as surgery was his area of interest. In 1987, Dr. Alok started his own practice as an ophthalmic surgeon, performing various types of eye surgeries. From 2015 to August 2023, he served at Pacific Medical College, and he is currently practising in his own clinic.

When asked about his role models, Dr. Alok Vyas says he draws inspiration from his father, who started as a third-grade teacher and eventually became the Director of Education in Rajasthan. His mother also began her career as a school teacher and rose to become the Principal of a postgraduate college, serving as the longest-serving principal for 14 years at Meera Girls College. Although Dr. Alok didn’t meet his paternal grandfather, who passed away when he was young, he looks up to both of his grandfathers. Additionally, Dr. Alok seeks inspiration from Prof. M.R. Jain, who encouraged him to implement the latest techniques in his treatments.

Dr. Alok Vyas also looks up to his brother, an electronics engineer from BITS Pilani, and his sister, who was a topper in the Rajasthan board. Though he considered himself an average student, his teachers recognized him as a highly skilled eye surgeon when he joined MBBS.

Besides, he follows the Gayatri Parivar which has its headquarters in Haridwar, and Gurudev Acharya Shri Ram Sharma, who has been a great thinker and social worker. His saying, “हम बदलेंगे तो समाज बदलेगा और युग बदलेगा” greatly inspires him. Gurudev inspired him to indulge in social work and since then he has never looked back. Dr. Alok strongly believes, “When you change, you can change the world and society.”

Advising medical aspirants, Dr. Alok emphasizes that learning is a lifelong journey, especially in the field of medicine, where you can never stop growing. He recently subscribed to the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology and plans to dive into it soon. Dr. Alok also shares how he donated nearly 70-80 of his books to the Ophthalmology department library at RNT Medical College. Dr. Alok is an avid reader and enjoys studying medical and religious books.

Dr. Alok Vyas concludes by reminding young people that continuous learning is crucial, and there are no shortcuts to hard work or success. He encourages embracing new techniques while fostering social harmony.