omlog: a blog by Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India!

Grant - in - Aid

The Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust in the United States is selected as grant-in-aid recipient for the year 2005 by The Hindu Community & Cultural Centre (HCCC), Livermore, California.

The grant will be used to provide free services to indigent patients by Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India.

Senior Trustee and strong supporter of Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust Mr. Pathasarathi Chakravarthy will represent SNOM Trust at the awards ceremony and receive the award on behalf of the Trust.

SNOM Trustees and Chairman Sankara Nethralaya Dr. Badrinath, greatly appreciate the philanthropic gesture of the Hindu Community & Cultural Centre.

Pride of Sankara Nethralaya

Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd., Chennai - 600 008, are issuing two cheques worth Rs.2,81,000/- as royalties for the books "Clinical Practice Pattern in Ophthalmology", "Sankara Nethralaya Atlas of Uveitis and Scleritis", "An Atlas Of Neuro-Ophthalmology" and “Sankara Nethralaya Atlas Of Fundus Fluorscein Angiography".

These books have been authored by Dr. Prema Padmanabhan, Dr.Jyotirmoy Biswas, Dr.Satya Karna and Dr.Nitin S Shetty respectively.

Sankara Nethralaya is proud of the consultants who have contributed not only their rich knowledge in writing the books but also for happily assigning the royalties to their Alma mater.

Better Communication - More opportunities

15% of the reason you get a job, keep that job, and move ahead in that job, is determined by your technical skills and knowledge -- regardless of your profession. And 85% of the reason you get a job, will keep that job and move ahead in that job has to do with your communication skills!

To prove this, is a letter from our patient Mr. L.N. Ramaswamy:

"Respected Dr.Badrinathji,
I just entered Sankara Nethralaya to check my eyes on 19th June, 2005 with lots of apprehensions whether I would get the required attention. Before that I telephoned to your Nungambakkam centre and a Lady employee,Mrs.Kalpana in counter no.8 fixed up appointment for me. I thanked her and visited the centre. I was accommodated for eye check up. Dr.Padmaja Minakshi Sundaram checked my vision after my completing all the formalities and advised cataract surgery. I could see young girls managing as secretaries without being much aware of customer care and personal service. I was not informed of my position that I should go to your R.A.Puram centre. I almost dropped the idea of having the surgery due to lack of response born out of inexperience and large no. of people waiting for clearance. For anything I was asked to contact the PRO.

A momentary thought to meet the employee at counter no.8,Mrs.Kalpana who first gave the appointment date solved the problem with her contact with other employees with suitable guidelines furnished to them. I appreciate her sense of responsibility and devotion to duty. She advised me to contact Mrs.Rajathi at R.A.Puram.

To my surprise it turned out to be an experience of personal customer care and concern at R.A.Puram centre. She took great care of administrative clearance and that was a pleasing experience. I found that she has excellent equipoise and her attention is uniform to all who visited her for help. I appreciate her sense of duty conscience, softness and clarity of instructions that she maintains at all times whenever she is met.I appreciate her descipline. Mr.Tirupathi who attends at operation theatre has been highly helpful to every patient and his attention is uniform. His service is highly appreciative and he is second to none. Normally nursing staff are curt and stiff. I found Mrs.Vasantha Kumari, nursing staff at RAPuram centre, who exhibited that self dedication to duty is the highest form of Karma Yoga performed, has been highly courteous and pleasant at all times. My special appreciation to her.

Absolute professionalism with perfectness is found with your Dr.Padmaja Minakshi Sundaram and her team. I place on record my apprecitation to her and her perfect professionalism. I wish her and her team all the best. The secretary to Dr.Padmaja has been kind and responsive. My appreciation to her. Canteen is well maintained and the service is good and the price is reasoble.

When thankfulness overflows the swelling heart, and breathes in free and uncorrupted praise for benefits received, propitious heaven takes such acknowledgement as fragrent incense and doubles all its blessings. I wish you Godspeed in all your future efforts.

Thanking you,
yours truly
L.N.Ramaswamy"

Facts cannot be changed but you can change the way of looking at facts!

SN Diabetic Retinopathy Project

The Sankara Nethralaya Diabetic Retinopathy Project at Karnataka was inaugurated on Friday the 7th October 2005 at 1100 Hrs. by His Excellency Shri. Triloki Nath Chaturvedi - Governor of Karnataka and the Karnataka Teleophthalmology Network was switched on by Shri. A. Bhaskara Narayana - Director, Satellite Communication Project - Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Felicitations were offered by Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty - Chairman, Narayana Hrudayalaya and Dr. S. Chandrasekara Shetty - Technical Advisor, Sight First Lions Club International.

The event was co-sponsored by World Diabetic Foundation. Dr. Sanjiv Kelkar of Novo Nordisk India spoke about the World Diabetic Foundation projects. Excerpt from his address is given below:

"It is a great honour to be speaking on this occasion in the presence of His Excellency Shri. Chaturvedi Ji, Governor of Karnataka, Dr. Badrinath, Dr. Ravishankar and Dr. Rajiv of Sankara Nethralaya, Dr. Narayana from ISRO, Dr. Devi Shetty and Dr. Chandrasekara Shetty, and the august audience present.

I stand in for Mr. Sanjiv Shishoo, Managing Director Novo Nordisk India and bring greetings from the World Diabetes Foundation and Novo Nordisk India.

The establishment of World Diabetes Foundation was announced by Novo Nordisk A/s Denmark, on World Diabetes Day 2001. The mission of the Foundation is to create partnerships to assist people with diabetes and those at risk, acting as a catalyst to help others do more for the same. Priority of the Foundation is to help the poorest of the poor by linking people and resources, to educate and provide care locally. The focus is on innovative strategies, empowering local communities to achieve sustainable solutions and replicable models, to prevent diabetes and its consequences.

On behalf of World Diabetes Foundation we wish the project all the best."

The event was organized at The Sathya Sai Samskruta Sadanam, Bangalore and was well attended by our well-wishers in Bangalore.

Visitors

Prof. Wang Qinmei MD, Executive Director and his team from The Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College School of Optometry & Ophthalmology, W.M.C., China, visited our project on 6th October 2005.

About Salem Exhibition

The Commissioner of Police Mr. Abhashkumar inaugurated the eye exhibition organised by the TMS Eye Hospital, Salem, Tamilnadu, in association with the Chennai based Elite School of Optometry of Sankara Nethralaya at the Deiveegam Kalyana Mandapam on 13th October 2005.

The exhibition, aimed at creating awareness on various eye defects and its safety measures and had thirty display stalls. Students from various colleges including nursing and paramedical institutes participated in the exhibition.

Puppet shows to explain eye donation, safety measures and about cataract were organised. Free vision screening for the visitors were also performed. The organisers also conducted quiz programmes for college students on eye safety.

Chairman of the hospital Mr. Ramasamy Udaiyar presided over the function. Medical Director of the Hospital Dr. V. Siddharthan was present. The exhibition concluded on Sunday the 16th of October 2005.

Appreciation!

Dr. Tsutomu Hara MD of Hara Eye Hospital, Utsunomiya, Japan has appreciated Sankara Nethralaya's kindness in sending him a copy of the recent issue of Eyelights and Insight. He has also congratulated on the top ranking awarded by The Week. He conveys his best wishes for all at Sankara Nethralaya more success and prosperity.