In this 74th year of Indian Independence, Sankara Nethralaya took our time-honored Independence celebrations virtual to maintain social distancing norms. There was a limited attendance at the ceremony with Dr. Girish Rao, President – Medical Research Foundation, Dr. T. S. Surendaran, Vice-chairman and Head of the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, and essential staff only.

Dr. T. S. Surendaran unfurled the Indian National Flag on the 74th Indian Independence Day.

After unfurling the National flag and singing the National Anthem, Dr. T. S. Surendaran greeted everyone. Looking back to when he joined Sankara Nethralaya 43 years ago, he recollected the dedication and work ethics of our Founder, Dr. S. S. Badrinath, and his wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Vasanthi Badrinath. It is their commitment, drive, and belief in a service-oriented life, which has made Sankara Nethralaya into the Temple of the Eye that it is today, Dr. TSS said.

Acknowledging that the Covid-19 pandemic had affected Sankara Nethralaya’s regular patient inflow, he observed the adverse effect it had on the regular routines like prize distributions, which were canceled this year due to the pandemic. He praised everyone who fought at our national borders and encouraged everyone who stood at the front lines of patient care with the ever-present threat of contracting Covid-19 for their heroism.

Our staff member, Mr. Ravi, rendered a heart-felt patriotic song to rousing applause.

Dr. Girish Rao wished everyone a Happy Independence Day and observed that our 74th Independence Day was like never before. He reiterated that the only way to control the virus was social distancing, washing hands, wearing masks, contact tracing, and isolation, “at least until we have a vaccine in our hand or rather, in our arm.” Dr. Rao also encouraged his listeners with the news that over 100 vaccines are in various stages of development – an unprecedented event in the history of medical science that a viable vaccine could be available within the year. He appealed once again for everyone to follow all the region-specific standard protocols to avoid further outbreaks as seen in many regions around the world.

Dr. Girish Rao thanked everyone for making the virtual celebration possible while adhering to social distancing norms within the hospital premises.

In these uncertain times, GRT Jewellers Ltd. has donated Rs. 25 lacs Sankara Nethralaya to provide free medical care to the underprivileged. Founded in 1964, GRT Jewellers is one of the nation’s leading jewellers for the past 50 years.

“We have already donated Rs. 1 Crore to both Sankara Nethralaya, which would help them in treating the poorest patients without any fee. But we felt moved to provide even further monetary assistance during this Corona lockdown,” says Anand Padmanabhan, Managing Director, GRT Jewellers.

G.R. Radhakrishnan, Managing Director, GRT Jewellers, clarified, “Coordinated social assistance is essential during these difficult times. People all over the world are coming together and helping each other in whatever way they can. We consider these donations as repaying the debt of gratitude for the love and support that our customers have given us.”

Daily life has been affected by Covid- 19 and the world is struggling to recover from the effects of this global pandemic. With the aim to help the community in times of crisis, GRT Jewelers has donated Rs 25 lakh to Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital.

Dr T S Surendran, Vice Chairman 0f Sankara Nethralaya said that the funding would be used for the underprivileged.

Sankara Nethralaya has been serving poor visually challenged patients with free world-class eye-care for over four decades using these donations to perform over 17,000 cataract surgeries for the underprivileged using Mobile Eye Surgical Units.