Free Eye Surgery For Children

The Hindu reported on February 5 that Sankara Nethralaya will perform eye surgeries on 1,000 needy children in 2004. Standard Chartered Bank has donated Rs. 12.5 lakh toward this project. If live in the US and you are interested in contributing, please contact Dev Acharya, Treasurer of Ophthalmic Mission Trust.

Sankara Nethralaya to perform free surgery for needy children
By Our Staff Reporter, FEB.5.

Corrective surgery for eye disorders will be performed free of cost on 1,000 needy children this year at Sankara Nethralaya with the Rs.12.50 lakh financial assistance that the hospital received today from Standard Chartered Bank.

Thanking the bank for its "noble gesture," S.S. Badrinath, chairman, Sankara Nethralaya, said the hospital, functioning on the lines of a non-profit charitable organisation, looked forward to more such community support. He was speaking at a function, where Chris Low, Chief Executive Officer, India region of Standard Chartered Bank, presented a cheque for the amount under its `seeing is believing' campaign.

Describing the bank's assistance as an "example of responsible corporate citizenship," Dr. Badrinath said Sankara Nethralaya annually performed free surgeries on 5,000 patients. With the financial assistance, it would conduct surgery on children aged below 16 years and belonging to families whose monthly income is less than Rs.1,750.

Detailing the activities of the hospital, he said T.S. Surendran, director of its paediatric ophthalmology department, had conducted the maximum number of surgeries to correct squint and fitted contact lenses. The hospital, he added, advocated immunisation against German measles for adolescent girls to prevent occurrence of congenital disorders in their children.

Launching the `seeing is believing' campaign, under which the bank was raising funds worldwide and partnering with organisations to restore eyesight, Mr. Low said: "More than 80 per cent of blindness is curable and even avoidable with a better diet." The campaign, launched as part of the 150th anniversary of the bank in 2003, sought to help in restoring eyesight to 28,000 people around the world (one for each of the bank's employees), including around 7,000 in the country.

Noting that the bank had already raised $ 200,000 in India for the campaign; the mobilisation world over is $ 1.5 million; he said Standard Chartered Bank would offer continuous support to Sankara Nethralaya.

Romi Malhotra, head of Scope International, a wholly owned subsidiary of the bank, said the organisation was ready assistance to Sankara Nethralaya. The subsidiary had pledged over Rs.10 lakhs to Sankara Nethralaya this year as on-going support for surgeries conducted by the paediatric ophthalmology department through its Scope Aid Trust.

C.V. Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer of Sankara Nethralaya, said 10,000 free surgeries were proposed at the hospital next year. Dr. Surendran, who is also the vice-chairman of the hospital, said the paediatric ophthalmology department performed 5,000 surgeries annually, including 500 free of cost. Shashi Ravichandran, trustee of Scope Aid and P. Ananthakrishnan, vice-president and regional head (corporate and institutional banking), south of the bank were among those who participated.

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