Sankara Nethralaya received IPSC Award for 3rd Year in Row!
Out of 258 nominations (229 National & 29 International entries) from 78 Healthcare organizations across the globe, Sankara Nethralaya won the International Patient Safety Award 2025 under the category “Incidents and Safety Events leading to Improvements” at the 12th International Patient Safety Conference 2025, conducted by Apollo Hospitals.
Dr Jaichandran V V, Hospital Safety Committee (HSC) Chairperson received the award from Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals and Mr Mduduzi Matsebula, Hon’ble Minister of Health, Eswatini, on 21st February, 2025, Delhi.
Dr Jaichandran V V Awarded – Hall of Fame Award 2025
Sankara Nethralaya family congratulates Dr Jaichandran V V, Deputy Director, Department of Anaesthesiology for the induction of “Hall of Fame Award 2025” at the Ganga Anaesthesia Refresher Course GARC 2025, Ganga Hospital Coimbatore 1st February 2025.
The award was given mainly for his excellent accomplishments in the field of Ophthalmic anaesthesia and also in the extracurricular field. The award was presented by Dr Bala Venkat J, India Society of Anesthesiologists ISA President
Sankara Nethralaya Celebrates 76th Republic Day with Awards and Scholarships
Sankara Nethralaya marked the 76th Republic Day on January 26, 2025, with a solemn and meaningful observance, highlighting its commitment to service and academic excellence.
The event featured the prestigious Dhingra Trust award distribution ceremony for children of employees who scored more than 70% in their Class XII board exams, recognizing employees who have dedicated 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 years of service to the institution. Additionally, merit scholarships were awarded to the children of employees. Circle of Excellence Awards in Patient Care, recognizing outstanding contributions were also presented by Smt. Sita Mittal, SWAN volunteer.
Dr. Nirmala Subramanian, Emeritus Professor, Department of Oculoplasty, graced the occasion as the chief guest. She was joined on stage by Dr. Girish S. Rao, President; Dr. T. S. Surendran, Chairman; and Smt. Sita Mittal. The event commenced with Mr. Chellasamy I. K., Chief Security Officer, escorting Dr. Nirmala Subramanian to unfurl the national flag, setting a patriotic tone for the celebration.
Ms. Manju, Senior Optometrist (Contact Lens), Bags IACLE’s ‘IMAGE OF THE YEAR 2024’ Award!
Congratulations to Ms. Manju, Senior Optometrist in our Contact Lens Department, for winning the “IMAGE OF THE YEAR – 2024” award by IACLE for her case on Lattice Corneal Dystrophy managed with a scleral lens.
This marks the second consecutive year our CL team has earned this prestigious honor!
Sankara Nethralaya, Optometry Confederation of India Release Guidelines on the Importance of Visual Health in the Digital Age
Medical Research Foundation’s Occupational Optometry Services, in collaboration with the Optometry Confederation of India, released a comprehensive guidelines to Improving Visual Health in the Digital Age at Sankara Nethralaya’s Padma Bhushan Dr. SS Badrinath Campus, Chennai on Saturday.
The event commenced with a warm welcome address by Dr. Rashima, Head of Occupational Optometry Services, followed by a brief introduction to the guidelines by Dr. Lakshmi Shinde. Dr. Shinde emphasized that the inspiration behind the initiative stemmed from the pressing need to address myopia among adults, particularly in an era dominated by digital screens.
The guidelines was officially released by the Chief Guest, Mr. S. Ramadorai, former CEO of Tata Consultancy Services and Chairman of Kalakshetra Foundation. The first copy was presented to Mr. P. P. Santhanam, widely regarded as the father of Occupational Optometry. Dr. T. S. Surendran, Chairman of Sankara Nethralaya, shared a few words of admiration for Mr. Ramadorai during his welcome address. The Chief Guest was honored by Dr. Girish Shiva Rao, President of the Medical Research Foundation.
In his address, Mr. Ramadorai reflected on the legacy of Sankara Nethralaya’s founder, Dr. S. S. Badrinath, whose vision and commitment to excellence continue to guide the institution. He spoke passionately about the challenges of visual health in today’s world, citing alarming statistics: 17 million children globally suffer from uncorrected vision, and 13 million adults are affected annually. He highlighted the adverse impact of technological advancements such as e-commerce, digital content, and gaming on eye health, along with the lesser-discussed effects of climate change on visual well-being. The event concluded with a video presentation offering insights into the guideline-handbook.
The release of Improving Visual Health in the Digital Age marks a significant step in raising awareness about the critical need for eye care amidst the challenges posed by the digital era.
Download Link: https://www.sankaranethralaya.org/occupational-optometry.html
35th Institutional Award Ceremony
The 35th Institutional Award Ceremony of the Medical and Vision Research Foundation was held on December 7, 2024, at the Dr V D Swami Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai.
Dr C Sylendra Babu, IPS (Retd), Former Director General of Police and Head of Police Force, Tamil Nadu, was the chief guest for the ceremony. Other distinguished luminaries in attendance were Dr T S Surendran, Chairman, Medical Research Foundation & Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Dr Smita Praveen, Director- Academics, Dr N Angayarkanni, Director- Laboratory Services, Dr A R Anand, Professor & Head, Microbiology Department, Coordinator – Vidyasagar Institute of Biomedical Technology and Sciences along with Dr Rashima Asokan, Professor – Elite School of Optometry and Dr N Anuradha, Principal – Elite School of Optometry.
During his address to the graduates, Dr C Sylendra Babu insisted on the importance of optometrists and their roles in the community. Dr N Anuradha and Dr A R Anand presented the academic reports of Elite School of Optometry and Vidyasagar Institute of Biomedical Technology and Sciences (VIBS) respectively. The event brought together proud parents and professionals of the institution for the much awaited ceremony.
On the day of the ceremony, 5 PhD scholars, 5 post graduates and 28 undergraduates of Optometry received their honors in addition to the best students of the first, second and third year of optometry. Institutional awards for various ophthalmology specialties and research were also presented. Furthermore, awards for Best Optometrist, Best Research Publication and Best Research in Optometry instituted by the Elite School of Optometry Alumni Association, as well as awards for Best Junior & Senior faculty were also conferred to the recipients. ESO congratulates all the graduates and award recipients on this grand occasion!
Sankara Nethralaya Celebrates Children’s Day and National Myopia Awareness week
Myopia or shortsight is a childhood eye condition that has become increasingly prevalent especially past 20 years due to mostly lifestyle factors like less outdoor activities and more near activities in children. We, at the Department of Peadiatric ophthalmology in Sankara nethralaya celebrated Children’s Day and the National Myopia Awareness week from the 14th to 20th of November. The celebration was inaugurated with a small cake cutting ceremony attended by Chairman Sankara Nethralaya Dr. T. S. Surendran and the Director and Deputy Directors of the Peadiatric department Dr. Sumita Agarkar and Dr. Kavitha Kalaivani. The team comprising of Peadiatric ophthalmologists and Peadiatric optometrist who cater to Peadiatric eye care conducted weeklong awareness sessions, activities like slogan writing, painting, meme creating competition etc, designed and installed awareness posters and videos highlighting the importance of sunlight exposure and the adverse effects of gadget usage and conducted Q&A sessions for parents about eye health.
Some of the memes and slogans written by the children are “Myopia myopia go away, don’t come again another day!
Myopia myopia go away, little children want to play!” “Every closed eye is not sleeping, every open eye is not seeing! Check your eyes now”
The Q&A sessions addressed issues of general eye health, dietary implications of eye conditions, stigma associated with spectacle usage, peer pressure for children, myths and beliefs related to spectacle usage, creating awareness about misleading and sometimes dangerous non scientific treatment options etc. Over 40 parents participated and benefitted. We hope that this is not limited to this one week and continues to increase awareness to all those involved in child care.
Memorial Service Held for Padma Bhushan Dr. SS Badrinath on His Death Anniversary at Sankara Nethralaya
Chennai, 23/11/2024: The death anniversary of Padma Bhushan Dr. SS Badrinath, the visionary founder of Sankara Nethralaya, was observed with a heartfelt memorial service at the College Road branch of Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai. The event was attended by several eminent personalities, including Dr. P. Namperumalsamy, a founding member of the GOVEL Trust and the driving force behind the Aravind Eye Care System, and N. Ram, Director of THG Publishing Private Limited, the publishing arm of The Hindu Group.
Dr. P. Namperumalsamy, who is known for his pioneering work in the field of ophthalmology and for his significant contributions to eye care, graced the occasion as the chief guest. During his speech he recalled his days with Dr. SS Badrinath when they both were mentored by Dr. Charles Schepens in Boston.
N. Ram, the guest of honour and esteemed journalist, shared his personal reflections on Dr. Badrinath’s life and legacy, highlighting how his dedication to the cause of blindness prevention and eye care transformed countless lives. Recalling his cherished memory with Dr. Badrinath, he said, “A political correspondent, who is very popular but I cannot name him, once came to Sankara Nethralaya for a check-up with Dr. S. S. Badrinath after I recommended the same. After returning from the treatment, he told me, ‘I was seated right next to an auto-rickshaw driver, and Dr. Badrinath treated both of us equally.’
Both speakers captivated the audience with their tributes, reminiscing about Dr. Badrinath’s extraordinary journey and the indelible mark he left on the world of healthcare and social service.
The ceremony was a fitting tribute to Dr. Badrinath’s contributions to the medical community and his influence on Sankara Nethralaya’s mission to provide quality eye care to all.
Kanmanigalin Kangal: Sankara Nethralaya Observes World Prematurity Day
Sankara Nethralaya marked World Prematurity Day with a meaningful program held at the Shri. VD Swami Auditorium on November 20. The event brought attention to the critical importance of early detection and care in pediatric ophthalmology.
The highlight of the evening was an insightful guest lecture by Dr. Rema Chandra Mohan, a renowned expert in the field. Her talk, titled “If Early, How Early,” shed light on the significance of timely interventions for eye health in premature infants, emphasizing how early screenings can prevent life-altering complications.
In addition to the lecture, the institution encouraged active participation from its community by organizing a video contest on pediatric eye diseases. Employees of Sankara Nethralaya, as well as students of the The Sankara Nethralaya Academy (TNSA) and the Elite School of Optometry (ESO), and CU Shah Ophthalmic PG Training Center showcased their creativity and awareness through engaging entries.