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

Childrens' day celebrations at Sankara Nethralaya

    

Sankara Nethralaya and ORBIS pediatric learning and training centre celebrated Childrens' day in a very grand manner. Free clinical examination was conducted to all children below 16years.

Dr T S Surendran, Vice Chairman of Sankara Nethralaya and Director of Pediatric Ophthalmology Department along with his associates addressed the importance of vision care in children. More than 100 children were screened. Toys and sweets were distributed. A drawing competition was conducted and prizes were given to the winners

Concert by Prof T N Krishnan at San Diego

Prof. T N Krishnan's Benefit Concert for Sankara Nethralaya was held at San Diego . It left all audiences awestruck

It was a  grand success. There were about 200 people who attended and thoroughly enjoyed the concert. It is the greatest pleasure to hear Prof TN Krishnan and Sriram Krishnan play together.       

- Mr Vachaspathi,
  Local Co-ordinator,   Prof T.N. Krishnan's Benefit concert,
  San Diego, USA.

         

          

For the Sake of Honour Award

Sankara Nethralaya's Vice - Chairman Dr. T .S. Surendran was conferred the " For the Sake of Honour " award by the Rotary Club of Madras South West on 24th February 2007.The Vice - President of the All India Ophthalmological Society, Dr. Babu Rajendran, said Dr.Surendran was one of "the fastest squint surgeons in the world." Dr. Surendran explained his current project with Orbis, an international development organization working towards eliminating avoidable blindness in the developing world.He planned to screen around 60,000 children in the next three years. " Early diagnosis can help prevent serious damage and blindness among children.

The number of cases of paediatric cataracts, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and cancer affecting the retina could also be brought down," he noted. School teachers would be trained in using basic screening equipment (portable),so that problems could be identified early.Dr. Surendran, known for his expertise in paediatric ophthalmology, has presented several papers at the national and international fora. The Rotary's district governor nominee N. Subramanian, and ophthalmologist Dr. Mohan Rajan, President of the club, Venkat Natarajan, secretary, Kailash Chordia and vocational service director R. C. Sekhar participated. 

http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/25/stories/2007022518890300.htm

SN - Alcon Partnership

Dr. K.Lily Therese aka "Dr. Lily" is a Reader in Microbiology at Sankara Nethralaya and a Colleague of Dr. H.N Madhavan, Director Research, Vision Research Foundation. She was offered a six month fellowship by Alcon in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

The R&D Microbiology Department headed by Dr. Barry A.Schlech, VP, Pharmaceutical Microbiology hosted Dr. Lily from Feb through Aug 2006. This 6-month scientific fellowship program was devised by Dr. Gerald Cagle and Dr.H.N Madhavan. During this time, Dr Lily experienced the state-of-the-art, diagnostic, DNA-based methods used in Alcon Labs opthalmic anti-infective studies. Dr. Lily identified infectious agents Indian Endophthalmitis patients and detected organisms in specimens that were "culture negative ",i.e, no microbe was detectable by growth.

Her training at Alcon reinforced her interest in using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography(Dhplc) and DNA sequencing of bacterial and fungal genomes. With these techniques, microbiologists can detect microbes in cases of endophthalmitis and identify these organisms to the species and strain-level even though the microbial culprits do not grow on traditional microbiological groups. She worked with Dr. Stroman's Anti-Infective Research Department. Dr.Lily also attended technical seminars and management meeting in R&D that gave her an insight into our projects and activities and interaction with other Alcon divisions. She also gave several seminars on her work in india with Dr. Madhavan.

A Shining Example

Preetam Sridhar is no ordinary 12year old. While children of his age are thinking about books, music, sports and entertainment, Preetam is thinking about how to help his less fortunate brethren.

Living in California, USA, Preetam is a 7th grade student studying at the Sinalola Middle School, Novato, California. Preetam has collected donation from his fellow-students, added his own contribution and send $100 to Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India to support 2 cataract surgeries, for rural indigent patients.

Preetam has not just contributed for 2 cataract surgeries. This gesture has contributed towards restoring the livelihood of 2 families. Such charity at such a young age is highly commendable. Sankara Nethralaya family extends its warm appreciation to Preetam and his fellow-students who have contributed for a great cause!

Giving hope amidst sorrow

The eye donation call received by Sankara Nethralaya on September 02 was unique – the donor was a 45 day old infant.  Salom Bennyhin, lost his battle for life when he was just 45 days old.  Inspite of the grief, his parents Mr. N.S. Sasikumar and Mrs. Hani Sasikumar, wanted his eyes to be donated so that two people could regain their vision.  They called Sankara Nethralaya and the infant’s eyes were donated.

Sankara Nethralaya salutes this couple, who, inspite of their grief have given hope to two families. 

www.dinamani.com

Staying True to Sankara Nethralaya’s Philosophy

Sankara Nethralaya philosophy states: “Let the word Sankara Nathralaya ever remind me and my associates His Holiness’ command that there be missionary spirit in the project.  Let the world Nethralaya constantly remind me and my colleagues that the place of our work is an alaya.  Work will be our worship which we shall do with sincerity, dedication and utmost love”.

Our Teleophthalmology team recently visited Veedhividangan Village and Karuvilli Village on October 17 & 18 and carried out the camp.  The camp was organized by Vatsalyam -a Service organization.  The team examined 250 numbers of patients.  Sri P. Raman and S. Balachandran sent these following comments on the teleophthalmology team’s performance.

“They have simply conquered the hearts of people not only with their professional skills, but also by their exemplary patience, dedication and commitment.  No organization can achieve its objectives, however noble, unless its personnel wholeheartedly share its ethos.  From the perpetual smile on their faces and unobtrusive style of functioning, it was evident that your team has fully imbibed the organization’s culture.  Clearly it is again a success of your founder and the noble ideas he stands for.”

The "oldest" patient of Sankara Nethralaya

On the occasion of World Sight Day, Sankara Nethralya conducted eye screening camp along with Lions Club Central Madras at Vishranthi old age home, Chennai.  The Sankara Nethralaya team was lead by DR Nivedhitha Narayanan.  A total of 105 patients were screened.  Out of this 25 old ladies were bed ridden.  21 patients were diagnosed to have cataract and 41 were prescribed glasses. All of them were above 70 years of age.

Mrs. Saraswathi, an old lady who was examined said, she was 106 years.  She is the oldest person to be examined by Sankara Nethralaya in the last 28 years.  She had cataract in both the eyes.  She, along with the other patients will be brought by Lions Club of Central Madras in batches for surgery and further management.

Seeing the world clearly, at 95

Mrs. Nagammal, aged 95, walked into Sankara Nethralaya’s community ophthalmology centre on September 15 for an eye examination.  She was diagnosed with cataract in both eyes.  After a through examination including ultrasonography was done, she underwent physical examination, was declared fit for surgery and underwent cataract surgery with lens implantation in the left eye on October 6.  She is doing extremely well and has been advised to come on November 20 for examination and evaluation.  Mrs. Nagammal regaled the staff of the hospital about stories of India’s freedom struggle.

Sankara Nethralaya thanks friends, donors and well-wishers who have supported our community services and have helped us help people like Mrs. Nagammal.

Recognizing 20 years of service

Dr. R. Chidambaram from BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) visited Sankara Nethralaya on 14th October 2006.  He handed over 20 year’s service completion award to Dr. Prema Padmanabhan, Director, Cornea Services on recognition of her service.

Dr Prema Padmanabhan completed her medical graduate degree from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, in 1978; MS (Ophthalmology) in 1981. She underwent fellowship training in Vitreoretinal surgery between August 1981 and July 1982 in Medical Research Foundation, a unit of Sankara Nethralaya, where she is currently a senior cornea consultant. She has published 75 papers in peer reviewed national and international journals and has also written 3 chapters in various ophthalmic books. She has delivered more than 55 lectures at various national and international conferences as an invited guest speaker. She is the recipient of the Rustom Ranji Award in 1998. Having headed the Cornea Services for the past decade, she has recently handed over charge to Dr. G Sitalakshmi and is currently the Head of the Cataract and IOL Services and Director , Refractive Surgery.

New service at Sankara Nethralaya

Sankara Nethralaya Bangalore added a new service – Opticals on 12th August 2006.  This is another step by Sankara Nethralaya to ensure that patients prescribed spectacles, are benefited by the Scientific Ophthalmic Dispensing offered by it.

The Genetics Department at Sankara Nethralaya, took a giant step forwarded in Science & Research by adding “Affymetrix” to its portfolio.  The first sophisticated Micro array facility that would facilitate the identification of genes causing eye diseases was installed at the Haddows Road branch.  Presently there are five micro array facilities in the country. 

It was inaugurated by Mrs. & Dr. Krishnan Nandabalan.  The pooja for the new Affymetrix laboratory "Laboratory for Advanced Gene typing and Molecular Genetics" was held at Sankara Nethralaya on 15th August 2006. 

Sankara Nethralaya recognized for its dedicated service

29th May 2006 saw Sankara Nethralaya and some of its employees being felicitated by the Lions Club.

Lions Club of Central Madras observed Helen Keller Day on 29th May 2006. Shri N. Murali, Managing Director, The Hindu was the Chief Guest of the function. Dr. S. S. Badrinath, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya was the Guest of Honor. Mr. Murali presented the I(Eye) care awards and addressed the gathering. He said, "Sankara Nethralaya is one of the foremost institutions in providing high quality eye care. Lions Club cannot find something better than the institution or Dr. Badrinath. We must all salute the selfless and dedicated team of doctors"; Dr. S.S. Badrinath, in his address, suggested that a mobile operation theatre that could go to the remote places would benefit the tribal communities living in the interior part of the country.  He added, “about 70 per cent of our people live in villages and 70 per cent of out doctors live in cities”.  He also appreciated the team members of the Teleophthalmology services for their selfless and dedicated service. 

Lion S. Raghavan and Lion E.S. Krishnan were honoured for their contribution to the noble cause. 

Kalaimamani PMJF Lion Dr. S. Natarajan, District Governor and PMJF Lion Dr. L. Shanth Kumar, District Governor (Elect) felicitated the function and Lion S.N. Harinarayanan, Chairman, Sight First Committee organized the meeting.

Mr. V. Murali, Manager, Electronic Communication Department, Sankara Nethralaya, Mr. S. Alagiri, Officer on Special Duty, Sankara Nethralaya and Dr. Sandeep Mark Thirumalai, Sankara Nethralaya received the Knight of the Blind award.  Mr. V. Sivakumar, Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre, Sankara Nethralaya received a special recognition.  The Rural Mobile teleophthalmology services of Sankara Nethralaya received the I(Eye) Care Award.

Quality Assurance

BVQI Team visited Sankara Nethralaya for the annual surveilance audit of the ISO 9001:2000 systems on 3rd & 4th May 2006.  They visited the teleophthalmology department on 4th May 2006.  The audit team was very appreciative of the systems and the continual improvement being implemented by Sankara Nethralaya.

Balloon Dacryoplasty - a new treatment at Sankara Nethralaya

Balloon Dacryoplasty for congenital nasolacrimal duct block was performed at Sankara Nethralaya for the first time in India.  It was performed by Dr. E. Ravindra Mohan, Head, Department of Oculoplasty, Orbital Surgery and Trauma, Sankara Nethralaya on an eight year old boy from West Bengal with right nasolacrimal duct (Tear duct) block since birth.  The child had been suffering from continuous watering and discharge and was seriously troubled by his condition.  He had received previous treatment including the procedure of probing and syringing elsewhere.

The procedure involved passing a tube with a balloon at the end into the blocked tear duct and inflating it to open the duct well to permit free passage of tears, in a manner similar to coronary angioplasty procedure for dilating blocked blood vessels in the heart. 

The conventional treatment for his condition at the child’s age would be to perform a major operation called dacryocystorhinostomy.  In this particular case, another relatively new treatment modality was available to us in the form of Balloon Dacryoplasty.  An instrument set used for this procedure had been given to us as a generous gift some time back by Dr. Richard Saunders, Storms Eye Institute, South Carolina, USA, visiting paediatric Ophthalmologist on behalf of Orbis International.

The child was seen with complete relief of his symptoms.  Both son and father are extremely happy to have come to Sankara Nethralaya for his treatment.

"Advanced Sterilisation Techniques & Infection Control practices"

Ms. Lysa Sagar (Nursing Supdt), and Mr. P. Suresh Kumar (Executive – Nursing -Quality Assurance & training) of Sankara Nethralaya visited Malaysia between 06.04.06 and 08.04.06. The program was arranged by Johnson & Johnson to share the best practices in “Advanced Sterilisation Techniques & Infection Control practices”, followed in few hospitals in Malaysia. Besides SN, delegates from Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, Christian Medical College, Railway Hospital, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Apollo Hospitals and Lake Shore Hospital took part in the program.

The team visited Gleneagles Medical Intan Centre, Kuala Lumpur on Day 1. Gleneagles is a multi-specialty hospital about a decade old with 330 beds. The team was taken on a tour of the CSSD following which a face-to face meeting with Ms Irene Quah (Director of Nursing) was arranged. During the meeting, the practices of Gleneagles in CSSD were discussed in detail. The Gleneagles team described about their latest practices in surgical instrument cleaning, sterilization quality checks, etc. The visiting team from Sankara Nethralaya was specifically interested in the STERRARD plasma sterlisers and asked them to explain its uses and its benefits in an ophthalmic set up.

On day 2, the visiting team was taken to Subang Jaya Medical Centre, located in Kuala Lumpur; this hospital is also a multispecialty hospital about two decades old. The visiting team was again taken on a CSSD & OTtour followed by a meeting with the Subang Jaya team to discuss about their Quality checks Advanced Sterilisation Techniques and STERRARD plasma sterilizer.

On day 3, the team was taken to the local Johnson & Johnson head office and discussions were held regarding the Plasma sterilizers and how they help in low inventories and in prolonging the life of surgical instruments.

Sankara Nethralaya has a tie-up with The Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital in Malaysia. Through this tie-up Sankara Nethralaya has shared its practices in IT and Outpatient appointments with Tun Hussein Eye Hospital. As a part of their visit Mrs Lysa Sagar and Mr Sureshkumar visited this hospital and shared their views on the practices followed in SN regarding Sterlisation techniques, Quality checks & Theatre management.

Press Meet On The Chennai Glaucoma Study

A press meet was called on the March 29, 2006 to announce the results of the Chennai Glaucoma Study - rural arm. Mr. V. Narayanan, Chairman, Chennai Willingdon Corporate Foundation in absentia and Dr. M. Anandakrishnan, Former Vice Chancellor, Anna University and Director, Madras Institute of Developmental Studies presided over the function. Dr. Cathy Mc Carty, Senior Epidemiologists and Director, Center for Human Genetics - Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, USA teleconferenced from the Us. Dr. S. S. Badrinath, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya welcomed the gathering and informed about Sankara Nethralaya's plan for national forum National Institute for Research in Vision Science and Ophthalmology (NIRVO). Dr. M. Anandakrishnan presented mementos to the Chennai Glaucoma Study team members to commemorate successful completion of the first phase of the  Chennai Glaucoma Study. Dr. Ronnie George gave a brief overview of glaucoma and an intoduction on the Chennai Glaucoma Study. Dr. Vijaya presented the results of the Chennai Glaucoma Study. 4.17% of the rural population studied was diagnosed to have glaucoma, and an additional 9.06% of the population was at risk to develop the disease in the future. Based on this prevalence and the 2001 census data, it is estimated that 10.5 million people in India could be affected by glaucoma and over 25 million people are at risk of developong the disease. She emphasized the need for a comprehensice Eye examination. Dr. Kumaramanickavel presented the genetic aspects of the Chennai Glaucoma Study. He said that it has been reported that the first-degree relatives are at 16 times more risk to develop the disease. Stratification of risk individuals with a family history would help early identification and management of the disease.

Dr. M. Anandakrishnan addressed the gathering about the importance of the study and its implications on eye health. He reviewed the sources of Government support for research and development. Mrs. V. Sukanya, General Manager, Chennai Willingdon Corporate Foundation delivered Mr. V. Narayana's keynote address. Mr. V. Narayanan highlighted the burden of non communicable diseases and the need for corporate support for research in India. The meeting was well attended by the representatives of the press and Dr. Anandakrishnan, Dr. S. S. Badrinath, Dr. Vijaya, Dr. Kumaramanickavel, Dr. Ronnie George and Dr. Cathy Mc Carty participated in an interactive question and answer session with the press.

Guest Lecture By Mary Lou Riederer

The Elite School of Optometry organized a Special Guest Lecture on March 22, 2006. Dr. Mary Lou Riederer (Past President and Executive Member, Bristish Columbia Optometrist Association) spoke on "The Optometry Assessment of the Preschool Child for early detection of Amblyopia and Strabismus".

Dr. Riederer spoke about the different tests for assessing preschool children. She said that it is important to capture the attention of the children and maintain their interest in the tests. Using the siblings as our associates in testing would be a good idea to capture the interest of the child. Her talk was mainly on how the existing optometric office can be modified to attract the interest of the child - like keeping toys, posters, games etc. She said that doing a Cover Test (for detection of squint) would not work with the children. Dr. Riederer also presented few case studies on why penalization technique with atropine might not be the right treatment for amblyopia since there is a risk of the better eye becoming amblyopic.

Dr. E. Vaithilingam Memorial Scientific Session At Sankara Nethralaya

The fifth Dr. E. Vaithilingam Memorial Scientific Session was held on March 19, 2006. Students and optometrists attended the meeting from optometry schools all over India. This program is being held each year at Sankara Nethralaya and organized by the Elite School of Optometry, in memory of Dr. E. Vaithilingam, ex-principal, Elite School of Optometry. Optometrists in private practise also attended the meeting. Our Chairman, Dr. S. S. Badrinath, spoke about the contribution of Dr. E. Vaithilingam, exhorting the young audience to strive for excellence, which would what make him happy. Our Chairman-elect, Dr. Lingam Gopal, conveyed his best wishes to the audience.

There were three session of scientific paper presentations and followed by a symposium on Computer Vision Syndrome. Presentations were made on topics as varied as ocular injuries, sports vision, computer vision, biometry, measurement techniques, ocular pathology, post-LASIK evaluation, etc. Totally there were 21 presentations.

All presentations were judged for "Best Scientific Presentation" in the "Optometrist Category" and "Best Scientific Presentation" in the Student Category". All presentations were evaluated on the "Clarity of Presentation", "Scientific Content" and "Originality". The Best Scientific Presentation in the Optometry Category went to Mrs. Prema Raju, Sankara Nethralaya, a member of our Chennai Glaucoma Study. The Best Scientific Presentation in the Student Category went to Ms. Sanyukta Awale, Lotus College of Optometry, Mumbai.

Guest Lecture By Ms. Nandini Krishnamurthi

Mrs. Nandini Krishnamurthi, Founder Member - Hospital Sterile Services Association, India visited Sankara Nethralaya on March 16, 2006. She delivered a talk on Central Sterilization Supply Department (CSSD) Practices. This program was arranged by the 3 M Company. The nursing staff, operation theater assistants and ophthalmic assistant students attended the program.

Mrs. Nandini Krishnamurthi was former employees of Hinduja Hospital and Research center and Chemical, Industrial & Pharmaceutical Laboratories (CIPLA). She has played a vital role as a key member of the Hinduja Hospital senior Management team and was responsible for planning, organizing, coordinating and directing sterile processing department functions and programs. She is one of the founder members of the Hospital Sterile Services Association, India.

During her lecture she touched upon the following aspects in Central Sterilization Supply Department (CSSD) practices like Decontamination, Disinfection & Cleaning of instruments, Basics of Sterilization technology, Protocols and Guidelines in Sterilization, Monitoring and Assurance, Packaging materials usage in Central Sterilization Supply Department (CSSD) & Selection of instruments. The topics were well received by all the participants and it was a live interactive session with feedbacks from participants and as well as from the speaker.

Sankara Nethralya Presentation In Oman

Muscat - Dr. Tarun Sharma of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India, recently made a presentation about the hospital at a lecture held at the Indian Social Club Darsait and organised by the Gujarati Wing of Indian School Club.

The lecture was indeed informative and highly useful to the people in Muscat who may not be aware of all the world-class services provided by Sankara Nethralaya. Dr. Tarun Sharma introduced the team leader, Dr. S. S. Badrinath, president of the hospital. Satish Nambiar, chairman Indian School Club (ISC) - Muscat, was the chief guest and Kiran Asher, group - managing director of AI Ansari Group, was the Guest of Honour - Times of Oman.

Guest Lecture On "Botox in Headache"

Dr. Pazhani, MD, DM, (neurology), MRCP consultant neurologist Apollo Hospital Chennai, gave a lecture on "Botox in Headache" at Sankara Nethralaya on March 13, 2006. Dr. Pazhani had extensively dealt with the various types of headache presenting in day-to-day life. He also spoke about migraine and various types, treatment of migraine and the use of botox in migraine and other neurological conditions. He also showed some excellent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and carotid imaging of various neurological pathologies.

Prof. V. Rajagopalan & Prof. V.G. Appukutty Memorial Oration

Prof. V. Rajagopalan & Prof. V.G. Appukutty Memorial Oration organized by Ananesthesia Foundation, Chennai was held on March 5, 2006. Dr. Michael James Murray, Prof. of Anaesthesiology. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA, delivered the memorial oration on "Managing Mass Casualties in an Era of Weapons of Mass Destruction". Dr. R. Nanjunda Rao, Surgeon presided over the function. Dr. S. S. Badrinath, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya, Mrs. Vasanthi Badrinath, Dr. V. Jagadeesh, Dr. Sailender Babu, Dr. Ian Sundererajan attended the function.

Training In Teleophthalmology Techniques

The second batch of trainees underwent a technical training session on Teleophthalmology at Sankara Nethralaya on March 10, 2006. The trainees received hands on training on video conferencing, software and hardware, mode of connectivity etc. Mr. N. Leen from Army Hospital, Jammu & Kashmir and Mr. Rajeev, G. B. Pant Hospital, Andaman & Nicobar Island participated in the session.

New Technology To Detect Hard-To-Find Retinal Diseases

Inauguration of the Sankara Nethralaya - Novartis Centre for Excellence for Macula

The Sankara Nethralaya - Novartis Centre for Excellence for Macula was inaugurated at Sankara Nethralaya on March 8, 2006. Mr. Mukul Bagga, Business Unit Head, Novartis Ophthalmics inaugurated the centre. The Centre of Excellence for Macula became a reality through the support of Novartis wo donated a new instrument to detect hard-to-find retinal diseases - the Visual Evoked Response Imaging system (VERIS) Multifocal Electro Retinogram (mfERG).

The Standard Electro Retinogram (ERG), also called full field Electro Retinogram, is used to diagnose retinal disorders. The standard Electro Retinogram collects mass retinal response or response from all the retinal points which makes it difficult to diagnose focal retinal disorders. The multifocal Electro Retinogram is the answer to this problem. It is based on advanced technology that can help detect those retinal disorders that can be missed on Standard Electro Retinogram. The multifocal Electro Retinogram can be used to diagnose conditions like Stargadi's disease, Oguchis' macular dystrophy, unexplained visual loss, Age-related Macular Degeneration, and Glaucoma.

A press meet was arranged on the evening of March 6, 2006. Dr. Tarun Sharma, Director, Vitreo Retinal services made a presentation about the Vitreo Retinal Department of Sankara Nethralaya. Dr. S. S. Badrinath, Chariman, explained about National Institute for Research in Vision Science and Ophthalmology (NIRVO), the new ambitious research project that Sankara Nethralaya is embarking on Mr. Mukul Bagga gave a presentation about the products of Novartis. Dr. Parveen Sen, Consultant, Vitreo-retinal department gave a presentation about the Macula Clinic. Representatives of the press from various newspapers attended the function. The function received wide coverage in hte press.

Training For Nurses

20 general nursing (Midwifery) students belonging to the III batch from M. A. Chidambaram School of Nursing have joined the Sankara Nethralaya Rural Teleophthalmology camp for 1 day on March 6, 2006. They are visiting the camp at kelpenathur, Thiruvanamalai. The objective fo the students visit is to learn how to setup an ophtalmic unit, how to organize and conduct a camp, evalutaion and follow-up of patients and financial management.

To know more about the operation visit the Sankara Nethralaya Rural Teleophthalmology.

Kudos To Medical Records Department

Meticulously maintained Patient Medical records are a very important feature of a good hospital. It nor only ensures continuity in follow-up and treatment, it also gives the patient a feeling of comfort and satisfaction to know that even if they have forgotten the past history, the records are available to guide the consultants. And patients are appreciative of the fact that their records are maintained scrupulously by the hospital. This is borne by the e-mail received from a patient who had lost his Medical Records Number and called up the department. His number was traced and communicated to him. He replied "Thanks a lot for so meticulously maintaining the records which are pretty old. I appreciate your gesture and will soon get in touch with you for consultation". Kudos to the MRD!!!

New Partners In Research

A team from Johnson & Johnson, Vistakon divison visited Sankara Nethralaya on March 1, 2006.

Dr. Ganesh Kumar, Vice President, New Business and Technology transfer, Johnson & Johnson, Consumer and Personal Care Group, Tokyo and Dr. M.D. Nair, Consultant, Pharmaceutical Industry visited Sankara Nethralaya on March 1, 2006. They had a meeting with Dr. S. S. Badrinath, Dr. Lingam Gopal, Dr. G. Sitalakshmi, Dr. Ronnie George, Dr. H.N. Madhavan, Ms. Akila Ganesan, Mr. K. Krishnakumar, and Ms. Rajeshwari. Vistakon is exploring the possibility of partnering with Medical and Vision Research Foundations to carry out research projects.

World Opthalmology Congress 2006 - Brazil

Dr. J. Biswas and Mr. Rathinam attended the World Ophthalmology Congress at Sao Paulo, Brazil from February 19, 2006 to February 24, 2006. About 15000 ophthalmologists from 117 countries registered for this meeting. Most of the ophthalmologists were from South America. There were 2500 speakers talking in 25 halls. There were 250 stalls including stalls from all big companies like Alcon, Allergan, Bausch & Lomb etc. There were several bookstalls, where our books on uvea, fundus and ultrasonography were on display. Dr. J. Biswas presented a paper of ocular gnathostomiasis Sankara Nethralaya experiences and white dots in tuberculosis in a symposium of white dot syndromes. His talk was well appreciated. He also gave a talk on HIV related eye disease in India in the AIDS and EYE the global pandemic symposium. Mr. Rathinam presented a paper on Quality Management System in India particularly at Sankara Nethralaya.

Dr. Narsing Rao, Prof. & Head of Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California, USA said "It was so good to see you in Sao Paulo and listen to your superb presentations. I enjoyed your talk on Tuberculosis during the International Uveitis Society Group (IUSG) special session".

Sankara Nethralaya Keeps The Indian Medical Flag Flying High!!

Lynda Chapaprieta, a 43 year old lady from Florida, USA came to Sankara Nethralaya for surgical correction of her eyelid condition "Blepharoptosis", a part of a complex disorder called Blepharophimosis Syndrome. She did and extensive search for the hospital and surgeon to treat her condition and zeroed in on Sankara Nethralaya and Dr. Ravindra E. Mohan. After surgery on February 16, 2006, when she underwent bilateral fascia lata frontalis sling operation, she went back a very satisfied and happy patient.

(Ms. Lynda chapaprieta with her Husband and Daughter)

"Happy Birthday, Sir!!"

On behalf of our employees, Dr. K. Ravishankar, Cheif Executive Officier presented a greeting card to our Chairman, signed by our employees on occasion of his birthday on February 24 2006.

"Understanding Roles And Responsibilities Through Values"

A 3 day training program at Mysore:

40 employees of Sankara Nethralaya traveled to Mysore to attend a 3 day training program titled "Understanding roles and responsibilities through values". This program was conducted by the Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE), Mysore. Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE) was founded in 1974. Its efforts in the field of Value Education have won the appreciation of both Central and State Governments in India. The Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India, has recognized Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE) as a regional resource center for Education in Human Values.

Situated in about 70 acres of green land, Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE) is a beautiful sprawling campus comprising of class rooms, an auditorium, a select library with 2600 books, a computer training center, a Universal prayer hall, a dining hall etc. This serene place was the setting for the 3 day workshop.

Starting with a group prayer and yogasana on Day 1, the Swamiji's of the ashram took the team through various topics like Management in Action, Art of Communication, Inter-Personal Relationship, Stress Management, Roles & Responsibilities, Service as a way of Life, and Work Ethics.

While talking about Services as a Way of Life, Swamiji said that each human being has to find the divine within themselves. Once they do so, they will be able to appreciate the divine in the other people. He also said that the service that we do to the patients is equivalent to service to God.

The lectures interspersed with yoga sessions, meditation, group prayers and question and answer sessions made the entire program interesting and stimulating to the group. The group was very happy with the opportunity given to them to undergo such an enlightening program. This joy was conveyed by the team to the Chairman on their return from Mysore.

A set of 13 books given by Swami Jitakamananda, Correspondent, Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE) as mark of his regards towards our Chairman was handed over to him.

Our Chairman generously handed over all the books to our Staff library (in Human Resource Department) for our employees to benfit.

Participants of the Mysore Programme shared their experience of the three days programme, "Understanding Roles and Responsibilities through Values" at Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE), Mysore from February 22nd to 24th, 2006.

IT Rained "Oranges" At Sankara Nethralaya!

Our Chairman, Dr. S.S. Badrinath had traveled to the Western region of India last week, to the state  of Maharashtra. With his students spread far and wide, across the globe, Maharashtra was no exception. In Nagpur, he met Dr. Prakash Bawankule, a Vitre-retinal Fellow, who had trained at Sankara Nethralaya. Maharashtra being the "Orange" state of India, Dr. Bawankule presented Dr. S. S. Badrinath with a huge box of them. It therefore rained oranges at the hospital on February 27 when he returned back. Below you can see our Chairman, sharing the largesse with Mr. Sivaraman and Dr. H.N. Madhavan.

On A Lighter Vein!

Guest lecture by Mr. Bosskey in Elite School of Optometry on February 25, 2006.

Put together a creative mind, a multi faceted personality, quick repartees, loads of wit and lots of humor. And behold! An image of Mr. Bosskey will emerge. Mr. Bosskey enthralled the students and staff of the Elte School of Optometry with his talk on February 25, 2006. He addressed the students as a part of the ongoing extramural lectures being arranged at the Elite School of Optometry on the last Saturday of each month.

The lecture by Mr. Bosskey was filled with one-liners and jokes that had the audience in splits. Sri Bosskey, with the sheer dynamism that characterizes him, rushed through the session with witty replies to questions, funny anecdotes, satirical mimicry and a dose of how to approach life.

The experience was a mind-boggling one that brought with it lots of smiles and uninhibited laughter creating a light-hearted atmosphere. Hats off to Sri Bosskey for his joie de vivre!

Special Teleophthalmology Camp At Sri Ahobila Muth

Sankara Nethralaya Teleopthalmology Department conducted a special camp at Sri Ahobila Muth, Selaiyur (near Tambaram), Chennai on February 18, 2006. Swamiji Srimath Azhagiya Singar - 45th Jeeyar Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yathindra Mahadesikan visited the camp spot. The 3rd year students of Elite School of Optometry (unit of Medical Research Foundation) participated in the camp.

152 people - including students of the Muth, their teachers and general public living around the Muth - underwent full eye examination. Of these, 25 people had a teleconsultation with the base hospital for their eye problem. Those who required single vision glasses (glasses only for distance or near vision) recieved their spectacles on the spot through the spectacle-making facility available with the teleophthalmology van.

A heartwarming episode that happened during the camp was the finding of myopia (or short sight) in a small boy for the first time. He was immediately given spectacles and came for the final photo-shoot with the team wearing his brand new spectacles. He sported not just his new spectacles but a broad smile as well! This was possibly the first time he was seeing the world around him clearly!

Grand Rounds On Contact Lens

Ms. Rajeshwari, Senior Optometrist and in-charge of our Contact Lens Department, spoke on February 23 about Bandage Contact Lenses and Complications in Contact Lens Wear. As a key referral centre in the South Asian Region, Sankara Nethralaya, receives a large number of patients with corneal complications. These patients require bandage contact lenses. This topic was therfore of great relevance to the post-graduate ophthalmology and optometry students.

Ms. Rajeshwari spoke about fitting techniques in patients with coreal pathology like bullous keratopathy, corneal ulcer, post - photo refractive keratectomy (PRK) etc. She emphasized the need for all contact lens specialists to keep themselves updated on newer lenses and lens care regimen. She said that knowledge would help them manage their patients effectively.

"Hot Topics & Controversies On Paediatric Anaesthesia"

Dr. Radha Arunkumar, Paediatric Anaesthesiologist, Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston gave a talk on Febraury 17, 2006 on Hot topics & controversies on paediatric anaesthesia. She discussed the anatomical and physiological differences of paediatric patients compared to adults and also about causes for cancellation of day care surgery.

She emphasized on Anaesthesia management of recent upper and lower respiratory tract infections and pre & post operative fasting guidelines. She also said that guidelines for day case surgery and recent drugs like Remifentanyl and Dexmedetomidine for pain management.

Dr. Radha Arunkumar explained in detail about post operative paediatric recovery room management and advantages of having parents with the child in the immediate post operative recovery period. The talk was well appreciated by all.

International Paediatric Ophthalmology Conference

The International Paediatric Ophthalmology Conference held in Sultan Qaboos University, Oman was beamed across to Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai via Video conferencing on February 15th and 16th. Dr. Anuradha Ganesh, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman welcomed the gathering and spoke about the Paediatric Ophthalmology Lectures to follow as part of the conference.

Dr. Crieg Hoyt, Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Director of Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco talked about "Neurological Basis of amblyopoa". Dr. Hoyt suggested that neuro-transmitters play a role in causing amblyopia and areas IV B1 and areas IV B2 of visual cortex of the brain are affected giving rise to amblyopia. He said that further research was necessary in this field to find a specific treatment for amblyopia. Till then patching would remain the treatment of choice to improve vision.

Dr. Hoyt said, "there is no critical age for treatment of amblyopia as amblyopic eye regains vision after loss of good eye even in adulthood".

He was followed by Dr. Alex Levin, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Co-Director Ocular Genetics Program, Director of Fellowships, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. He spoke on "Genetics of Paediatric cataracts and glaucoma". He discussed the genetics of paediatric cataract and glaucoma associated with systemic diseases like Lowe's syndrome, Wilm's tumor and Axenfield Rieger syndrome.

The next lecture on "Epidemiology and investigation of childhood blindness" was given by Dr. David Taylor, Former Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Great Ormond Street hospital for Children, London, UK. This lecture stressed the importance of a good refraction by ophthalmologist in eliminating a major cause of childhood blindness i.e. refractive errors.

Dr. Taylor talked about the importance of examining the patient as a whole, and not just the eye. He also talked about community burden of childhood blindness and importance of screening.

This was followed by a lecture on "Aspects of vertical extra ocular muscle surgery" which was given by Dr. Elisabeth Schulz, Chairperson, Department of Pleoptics and Orthoptics, University Eye Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Basic anatomy and principles of vertical muscle surgery were discussed.

Dr. Deepak Chopra "New Age Guru"

Mr. Bala V. Balachandran, Honorary Dean of Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) organized a fundraising talk by spiritual guru of well being Dr. Deepak Chopra at Tidel Park auditorium on February 14, 2006. Dr. S.S. Badrinath, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya presided over the function. Dr. Vasanthi Badrinath, Mr. T. Rathinam, Mr. G. Shivaraman, Ms. Akila, Dr. G. Kumaramanikavel and Mr. Ramprasadh attended the function.

Dr. Deepak Chopra will soon conduct a course for the executive MBA students of Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM), Mr. Bala V. Balachandran, announced. "No programme has evoked this big a response. Speakers like me succeed in reaching the brain. But, he touches the heart and the brain."

The 17th CME programme

Department of Genetics and Molecular biology, Vision Research Foundation participated in the workshop on Ophthalmic Genetics: Bench to bedside applications organized by Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. Genetics of complex disorders, retinoblastoma and retinal dystrophies along with the importance of genetic counseling were presented and discussed via video conferencing.

Postgraduate students Orientation

Sankara Nethralaya today welcomed the new batch of Postgraduate Ophthalmology students. Seven doctors have joined the Sankara Nethralaya team. The New PG's were welcomed by Dr. K. Ravishankar Chief Executive Officier, Dr. Lingam Gopal, Medical Director and Dr. S. Meenakshi, Associate Consultant.

They were introduced to the history of Sankara Nethralaya through Know Our Nethralaya. Dr. S. Meenakshi gave a brief account of the Orientation Programme of our Institution and the specialties of our Hospital. Mr. Jothi Srinivasan gave a talk on the necessity of Telephone & Paging system. Mrs. Lakshmi & Mrs. Shyamala gave talk on Patient interaction, Admission & Discharge, Duties. Mr. Thiagaraj Thomas explained about Medical Record Department / Coding.

Dr. Rama Rajagopal explained on how to take a case history and how to write the File. Followed this the duty of Eye Donation Doctors gave by Mr. Irungovel. Introductions to Clinical Laboratory, discussion of roster to Main Lab guide through Dr. R. A. Sherren tour of our Library & a Video Presentation on how to give Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation by Mr. Mahesh & Dr. R. A. Sherren.

An "Inspiring" Gift to Sankara Nethralaya

"SIKKUPPALAKAI" (BOOK STAND) - USED BY ONE OF THE GREATEST POETS OF OUR NATION SHRI. SUBRAMANIYA BHARATHI IS GIFTED TO SANKARA NETHRALAYA.

"Uruthi Konda Nenjinai Va" - "Come forward with a determined heart and mind"! So sang one of the greatest poets of India, Shri. C. Subramaniya Bharathiyar. On 19th January 2006 Shri. K.V. Krishnan - nephew of the great Shri. C. Subramaniya Bharathiyar visited Sankara Nethralaya with his daughter Smt. Anandhi Srinivasan and Shri. S. Natarajan and presented the Book Stand used by this great poet to Dr. S. S. Badrinath, the man whose determination to provide world class eye care in India shines forth through Sankara Nethralaya. The "Sikkuppalakai" was used by Shri. C. Subramaniya Bharathiyar to read a literature and Vedas.

Shri. K.V. Krishnan is son of Smt. Lakshmi Ammal, the sister of Shri. C. Subramaniya Bharathiyar. Shri. K.V. Krishnan is engaged with Tamil Sangam of Varanasi.

At an informal meeting in the Chairman's Office, Shri. K.V. Krishnan handed over the "Sikkuppalakai through Shri. J. Swaminathan, son of Shri. K.V. Jagannathan (Ki. Va. Ja) - a great Tamil writer and founder of the famous Tamil Monthly - Kalaimagal to Dr. and Mrs. Badrinath

Shri. Rama Gopalan - a friend and well wisher of Sankara Nethralaya and also the founder of Hindu Munnani, Shri. T. Rathinam (Deputy General Manager - Technical), Shri. G. Shivaraman (Senior Manager - Patient Relation) and Shri. A.P. Irungovel (Manager - Medical Sociology) also joined this momentous occasion.

Shri Lopen Sangay Dorji, Swamiji from Bhutan visited Sankara Nethralaya Teleophthalmology Dept. on 18th January 2006.

Mr. Ashwin Kothari, Trustee, Aditya Birla Foundation and Dr. B.K. Trivedi Cheif Executive Officer, Aditya Birla Memorial Hosiptal, Pune visited Sankara Nethralaya on 18th January 2006.

Academics at Sankara Nethralaya

Dr. A. V. Ramanan, Consultant Paediatric Rheumatologist, North Bristol NHS Trust, Royal Bristol Children's Hospital and Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath UK visited Sankara Nethralaya on 4th January 2006. He gave a lecture on " Uveitis in Children - A Rheumatologists perspective ". It was organized by the Uvea department.

Six our student interns of the Elite School of Optometry (R. Aiswaryah, R. Ayeswarya, S. Sherin Mercy, V. Lakshmi Priya, V. Abinaya Priya and K. Spandhana ) attended the Low Vision Aids Workshop organized by National Insititute for the Visually Handicapped in collaboration with the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute ( Deemed University ), Porur from 4th January 2006 to 6th January 2006.

Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati and Dr. Balamurali Ambati visited Sankara Nethralaya on 6th January 2006. Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati gave a lecture on " Complement activation in age related macular degeneration " and Dr. Balamurali Ambati gave a lecture on " New Techniques in Cataract and Corneal Surgery ".

Guest Faculty: Mrs. Jyothi Dave President from Indian Contact Lens Society, Mumbai visited Elite School of Optometry and gave a lecture on " Prescribing Conact Lens in the 21st Century " on 7th January 2006. The meeting was organized and coordinated by Ms. Rajeshwari, senior optometrist and incharge, Contact Lens department.

Trans-conjunctival standard vitrectomy

Dr Promod S. Bhende - Senior Vitreoretinal Consultant performed the 25 Gauge Trans-conjunctival standard vitrectomy procedure successfully  for the first time at Sankara Nethralaya. Vitrectomy surgery using a 25G instrument is considered as a 'sutureless' vitrectomy procedure as  it needs only about 0.50mm incision compared to a surgery using 20G instrument, which needs about 0.90mm, thus providing a quicker recovery for the  patients compared to the 20G technique. This advancement in the vitrectomy procedure began on 28th November 2005. However, not all patients are found suitable for surgery using this 25G procedure.

Tonga Wala Munusamy

Mr. Munusamy a 65 year old Tonga Wala, lives in Ambattur. He was the main earning member of his family. Unfortunately he had to give up his job on account of deteriorating vision. The family was in deep crisis as the earnings declined. Sankara Nethralaya conducted an eye camp in his locality through the assistance rendered by the local NGO and Mr. Munusamy attended this camp. He was brought along with other patients to Sankara Nethralaya for further detailed examination. The doctors at Sankara Nethralaya advised him to undergo an eye surgery.

The surgery was performed successfully and Munuswamy's vision was restored. After the surgery, he was prescribed a pair of spectacles which was also provided free of cost by Sankara Nethralaya besides the surgery. Munuswamy is now productively employed and is back again as the breadwinner for his family. With his vision restored, he is now able to take care of his family. He and his family are thankful to God for the timely help from the donors who made this surgery possible for poor and needy people like him.

Sir Ratan Tata Fellowships

The second phase of the 16^th batch of  Sir Ratan Tata fellowship programme at Sankara Nethralaya  successfully concluded with nine fellows obtaining two months of training in basic and  advanced cataract surgeries at Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Center. Certificates were presented to the candidates on 30th November 2005.

Usha Kiran Charitable Trust

Shri G.K. Ramamurthy, Chairman, GKR Charities, Mumbai & Trustee, Usha Kiran Charitable Trust, Mysore inaugurated the new building for the Usha Kiran Charitable Trust Eye Hospital at Lakshmipuram, Mysore. Dr. Lingam Gopal - President, Vision Research Foundation, Director E-learning and Senior Vitreoretinal Surgeon at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, inaugurated the Operation Theatre while Dr. (Mrs) L.Vijaya - Director, Glaucoma Services, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, inaugurated the Out Patient Department on 27th November 2005.

World Ophthalmology Congress

The World Ophthalmology Congress will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 19^th to 24^th February 2006. As a part of this congress a symposium on “Quality Management in Ophthalmology departments/ Hospitals in the middle east and Asia” is planned.

Prof Dr Alexander A Bialasiewicz, Professor and Head, Dept. of Ophthalmology and Program for Ophthalmic Technicians, Sultan Qaboos University, 123 AI Khod/ MUSCAT, OMAN had invited Sankara Nethralaya and Ms Shyamala Selvaraj is likely to make a presentation about Total Quality Management Project at Sankara Nethralaya.

Indian Association of Medical Microbiology

The XXIV Annual Conference of India Association of Medical Microbiology was conducted at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Porur, Chennai between 21 - 23 October 2005.

During the inaugural session, Mrs. B. Mahalakshmi - Senior Research Fellow from the L&T Microbiology Department of Sankara Nethralaya received the Junior IAMM best paper award for the year 2004.

The scientific sessions of the conference included oration lectures, symposium, Oral and poster presentations. The participants from Sankara Nethralaya included Dr.H.N.Madhavan, Dr.K.Lily Therese, Dr.J.Malathi, Mrs.P.Deepa, Miss.R.Bagyalakshmi and Miss.P.Sowmya presenting research papers in Immunology and Virology and oral presentations in Mycobacteriology and Mycology.

The theme lecture - 'Clinical Microbiology in the Millenium : The dilemma for Clinical Microbiologist: Phenotypic or Genotypic characterization of bacteria' was delivered by Dr. David Stroman of Alcon Laboratory, U.S.A., while Dr. H.N.Madhavan-Professor & Head of Microbiology at Sankara Nethralaya chaired the session and spoke in detail about collaborative research work between Vision Research Foundation and Alcon Laboratory.

There were 137 oral presentations in all among which two were from Sankara Nethralaya's L & T Microbiology Research Centre, one each in Mycology and Mycobacteriology by Miss. R. Bagyalakshmi and Mrs.P.Deepa respectively.

Dr. K.Lily Therese delivered a lecture on 'Molecular methods in diagnosis of ocular infections'.

Dr.H.N.Madhavan was elected as the Executive Council Member for the next three years by the organising committee of the Indian Association of Medical Microbiology.

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.

Welcome Aboard Mr. Krishnan

Mr. A. Krishnan has joined us as Officer on Special Duty. He will be responsible for coordinating all the activities related to the specific projects as and when Medical Research Foundation and Vision Research Foundation carry that out. The projects will be related to community works of the organization, starting of a new project within or outside Chennai and projects related to State or Central Governments.

Mr A. Krishnan has done his B.A.(Commerce) and received a Diploma in Application Software. He has over 32 years of experience since 1972 as a Supervisor - Marketing Administration till Head - Business Development & Client Service of Personal Search Services Pvt Ltd, Chennai. He has worked with several reputed companies such as Best & Crompton Engineering Ltd, Sanmac Electronics Corporation Ltd, Harrison Aqua culture Ltd, Apollo Tyres Ltd, Indchem Software Technologies Pvt Ltd and was last working for Personal Search Services Pvt Ltd, Chennai, as Head - Business Development & Client Service.

Please join us in welcoming Mr A. Krishnan to Sankara Nethralaya family and wish him all the best in his assignment.

Eye Camp For Journalists

An eye camp was organized for the journalists of Chennai at Navasuja Sankara Nethralaya on Sunday April 17, 2005. The program was organized on the behest of the National Union of Journalists, Tamil Nadu division. Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Honourable Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the camp.

Dr. Anbumani was received by Dr. K. Ravishankar, CEO, Medical Research Foundation, Dr. T. S. Surendran, Vice Chairman, Medical Research Foundation and Mr. V. Vaidyanathan, Hony. Secretary and Treasurer, Medical Research Foundation at Navasuja. The inauguration began with a prayer song followed by welcome address by Mr. Balasubramaniam, General Secretary, National Union of Journalists.

In his talk, Dr. R. Anbumani, spoke about the important role being played by private institutions like Sankara Nethralaya in helping the government in achieving the goal of reducing preventable blindness in the country. He mentioned that of all the healthcare programs launched in the country, the most successful was the eye care program and this was mainly due to the effort of organizations like Sankara Nethralaya joining hands with the government in providing eye care and doing cataract surgeries.

About 80 journalists underwent the eye examination. Those requiring further investigation and treatment were referred to the respective departments.

Patient Satisfaction Is High Priority

On April 2, 2005, Sankara Nethralaya's Patient Relation Officer Mr. Shivaraman, Ms. Rajamani, Ms. Sarvodhaya, Ms. Lysa Sagar and Mr. Suresh Kumar participated in a seminar on "How To Enhance Patient Satisfaction," conducted by the Institute of Health Management Research (IHMR), Bangalore at the Madras Cricket Club.

Mr. Abraham Retires

Mr. Abraham joined Sankara Nethralaya on September 1, 1979 as an Attender. He served Sankara Nethralaya for 25 years and 6 months and retired on February 28, 2005 as an ECG Technician. He was selected as an "Outstanding Employee of the year" in August 2003.

As a token of our appreciation for his long and loyal service, our Chairman Dr. S. S. Badrinath presented him with a gold plated memento on April 8, 2005. We wish him all the best on his retirement.

Navasuja Expansion

A new operation theater to serve thousands of patients in South Chennai was inaugurated at Navasuja Sankara Nethralaya. Over 250 people attended the inauguration and Dr M.A.M.Ramaswamy, Pro Chancellor, Annamalai University was the Chief Guest. Dr.S.S.Badrinath, Chairman, Dr K.Ravishankar, CEO and Dr.T. S. Surendran were present.

Dr. Ashok Rangarajan briefed those present about the facilities at Navasuja Sankara Nethralaya. He said, "In addition of the operation theater, the center has become a one-stop solution for all cataract patients. All services for cataract surgeries including laboratory services and physician check up are offered under one roof so that patients can be admitted, go through surgery and be discharged on the same day."

Research Matters

International Telemedicine Conference

In continuation of our efforts to create awareness and provide visibility among various professionals including the healthcare providers and equipment suppliers about the benefit of adopting this emerging technology, Sankara Nethralaya is going to participate in the forth coming International Telemedicine Conference from March 17-19, 2005.

ARVO's US-Indo Workshop

The idea to bring researchers from the US and India together began in 2002 when individuals at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, or, ARVO gathered to discuss the research opportunities between the US and India. The goal of these programs, funded by a grant awarded in 2004 by the National Eye Institute, is the development of a research plan for collaborative projects incorporating methods for identifying fiscal, scientific (e.g. tissue, processes, population), and intellectual resources in the US and India that promote collaboration and identifying research areas where there is a need. This workshop will be held at Sankara Nethralaya on February 15, 2005. These meetings will also be conducted at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad and at Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai.
 
Dr. Lingam Gopal, Dr. H.N. Madhavan, Dr. J. Biswas, Dr. G. Kumaramanickavel an