British Duchess Sophie, who is currently on a private visit to Nepal with her husband Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the Kirtipur Eye Hospital on Wednesday. She met with patients and officials while reviewing the hospital’s services.

The hospital, operated by the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh, has been providing eye care services since 2017 and runs free cataract surgery camps in Nepal’s hilly regions with support from the UK-based Ridley Eye Foundation.

Duchess Sophie serves as the Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), a coalition of global organisations dedicated to eradicating preventable blindness. She has been working to improve eye care services worldwide and commended Nepal’s progress in this sector.

During her visit, the Duchess encouraged Nepal to further integrate eye care into its primary healthcare system. Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh officials informed her that the organisation has set up permanent eye care centres in 67 districts and operates 28 eye hospitals and 160 treatment centres across the country.

The Duchess was particularly impressed by Nepal’s successful elimination of trachoma, a significant public health achievement.

Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie arrived in Nepal on Tuesday after visiting India and will stay in the country until February 9. Their visit includes meetings with key figures, including President Ramchandra Poudel.