Seeing the Mission Clearly: A Conversation with Kundandeep Nagi, MD

At I Care San Antonio, volunteer doctors drive the mission to restore sight and change lives. Among them, Dr. Kundandeep Nagi, an ophthalmologist and volunteer surgeon, brings both deep expertise and a strong commitment to service.

Dr. Nagi didn’t so much choose to volunteer as grow into it. Service has always grounded his work in medicine. At I Care San Antonio, he puts that purpose into action. “It’s an opportunity to practice medicine the way it should be,” he says, emphasizing care that puts people first.

When he volunteers, the work often feels seamless. Dr. Nagi doesn’t always know which patients come through I Care San Antonio. They are simply people who need care. But certain moments leave a lasting impression. Recently, one patient broke down in tears after surgery, overwhelmed not just by restored vision but by the financial relief. By performing bilateral cataract surgeries, Dr. Nagi and his colleagues reduce both cost and recovery time; an approach that can truly change lives, especially for younger, otherwise healthy patients with years of opportunity ahead.

For Dr. Nagi, the impact reaches far beyond the individual. When he restores one person’s sight, he sees it as an opportunity to help an entire family move forward. Patients can return to work, care for their children, and reengage with their communities. That ripple effect drives his commitment and reinforces his belief that medicine should create lasting change, not temporary fixes.

Volunteering continues to strengthen Dr. Nagi’s perspective on both medicine and service. While many physicians feel called to help others, he offers a candid reminder: that desire must come from within. “You should already want to do it,” he says. “We want you to want to do it.”

Through surgeons like Dr. Nagi, I Care San Antonio continues to redefine accessible, compassionate eye care: one patient, one family, and one community at a time.