A simple function was organized at the “Haddows Campus’ on Thursday, November 3, 2011 to give shape to the MoU signed between Stanchart Bank –Scope International and Sankara Nethralaya earlier in the month. Senior personnel representing both sides were present at the function. Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya began the proceedings on an auspicious note by lighting the Kuthivilakku. A sum of rupees 30.25 lakhs was donated as Scope aid by Stanchart Bank-Scope International towards fulfilling its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) under the vibrant theme ‘Seeing is believing’. The amount would be used for acquiring the bus and the necessary Teleophthalmolgy equipment needed for the mobile eye care unit. While Scope aid to the tune of rupees 30,000 a month will be made available to Sankara Nethralaya towards meeting the operational costs of the joint eye camps under the provisions of the MoU, Stanchart-Scope has also promised to raise funds from its staff members towards performing free of cost cataract removal surgeries to indigent patients at the base hospital.
Edwin Nevis, Group Head, GSSC & Banking Operations, Stanchart Bank delivering the welcome address observed that the real objective of the mobile eye care unit would be accomplished only when it reaches out to patients in remote villages with poor access to eye care.. Mr. Jan Verplancke, Chief Information Officer & Group Head of Technology and Operations, Stanchart Bank expressed that the partnership would go a long way in battling blindness in the rural areas, he could be seen spiritedly discussing the modalities of the joint project with Dr SS.Badrinath which indicated his high personal involvement in the project.
Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya expressed his deep gratitude for the generous gesture and appreciation for Stanchart- Scope International’s passion in providing eye care to the poor and needy and role in eradicating blindness. He recalled the generous aid and assistance that Scope was making towards the Aditya Birla Sankara Nethralaya, Kolkata through the Tulsi Trust and expressed his special thanks to Stanchart Bank, Botswana for making a generous donation through the Botswana Tamil Cultural Association towards Sankara Nethralaya’s cost free eye care initiatives being undertaken in that country. Ms Geetha Karunakaran of Stanchart Bank proposed the Vote of Thanks.
The meeting was attended by Dr S.Bhaskaran, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya, Dr Vasanthi Badrinath, Shri PR Ravindran, Chief General Manager, Shri Alagiri, Manager-Resource Mobilization and Dr Sheila John, Project coordinator and Head of Teleopthalmology Department, Sankara Nethralaya.