Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Sankara Nethralaya Volunteering Student Ms Sahiti Avula / The Harker School, San Jose, CA / June 29, 2012


I don’t think I can express in words how nervous I was the day before I visited the Sankara Nethralaya Academy. As a 15 year old girl who has not tried many things out of her comfort zone, I was certain this would be a great challenge. I had heard many great things about this foundation from my parents, and although one part of me wanted to see what this program was like, another part of me was very apprehensive. This was the first time I visited Chennai, the weather was hot, and in addition I did not know a single word of Tamil.  So to sum it up, I was almost 100% sure that I would be extremely uncomfortable both socially and physically. What I actually experienced was in fact the exact opposite of what I had predicted, and I’m still laughing at myself for feeling like I would be out of place, because I’ve realized at Sankara Nethralaya, it is impossible for anyone to feel out of place. My parents and I were greeted by a warm smile from Mr. Sivakumar in the PR department the very moment we walked in and enjoyed the hospital tour led by Ms. Sreedevi and Mr. Mahalingam, who had sacrificed their entire day just for us. When we went to meet Dr. Badrinath, the chairman emeritus, I noticed how simple and humble he was, and I knew right away I had come to an amazing place.

 

The rest of the week I worked at the JCOC with Dr. Kumari, and I really appreciated that she took the time to explain to me everything she was doing to the patient. Mr. Sivakumar at the JCOC also inspired me to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor and he would always encourage me. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and I made friends easily. The next week when I visited the Teleophthalmology center, Dr. Sheila John made sure I got the best opportunities. Dr. Sheila John was extremely hospitable and ensured that I was comfortable and ate wellJ. She also explained about the goal of the department in reaching out patients across India, Africa and Europe as well as the research that is currently ongoing to serve patients in remote areas even more efficiently by applying mobile phone technology. She introduced me to her staff of optometrists, and they were very friendly and hard-working. I went to Thiruvallur on a camp with them and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I’ve fallen in love with this wonderful foundation, and I promised myself that I would come back year after year and contribute as much as possible.

The first and most interesting place I saw was the JCOC. On my very first day, I was awed by the organized process every patient went through. The first test I saw was the DBR test.  A patient was undergoing this test so the doctor could find out the power of the intraocular lenses. I observed that the patients were of limited financial resources, many were illiterate and several did not even have slippers on. I was so happy that Sankara Nethralaya was doing something so big for the patients who did not have anything to give to them in return. Dr. Kumari told me that 80% of the patients that visit are for cataract surgery because the cataracts easily form with aging. I also learned the names of all of the machines. When I used to go for regular eye tests in California, I never really knew what I would always put my chin on and press my forehead against. I know now that it is the digital biometer, and it is connected to the computer. Dr. Kumari explained to me that the scanning of the eye was called the A-scan and the ultrasound is used in this scan. The auto refractometer determines the power of the patients’ eyes so the doctor can find out the lense required. She explained to me that glaucoma is a silent killer of the eye and I was even able to look at a few patients who unfortunately had it. I was also fortunate enough to meet two wonderful interns, Pradipta and Usha, who let me examine the patients with them. The patients  spoke Tamil, Telugu, or Hindi, so the optometrists were also required to know those three languages very well. On my second day, I saw a little boy whose right eye had been badly bruised by a ball a year ago. At that time, the doctors removed the foreign body in his eye by doing an intraocular surgery and he was told to come back after a year. His eye was much better and he was extremely happy. Every patient has their own file and the doctors have a very organized way of entering the information in and then converting it to a huge graph. 90% of the patients that come for cataract surgery have high blood pressure. Because a lot of the general health factors also affect the eyes, the cataracts are easily formed. Dr. Kumari showed me a fully-matured cataract in the eye of an older lady. The cataract had covered the entire eye and it looked like a mixture of green and brown. She was not even able to see how many fingers the doctor held up just 15 cm away from her. I saw another lady whose cornea was thinning. Dr. Kumari shined a flashlight into her eye and showed me the cornea. They ask the patient to look at a fixed point (the wall or their finger) and they take a tube-like device to measure the pressure of the eye. I watched Dr. Kumari first put some eye drops in the patients’ eyes and then run the device over their cornea. The device was connected to the computer, and it kept track of everything. The doctor held a knob which was attached to the digital biometer and nudges it forward. Each time it was nudged, a beeping sound was made, and this was the sound of the computer collecting the results from the device. I was amazed at all of the wonderful technology being used and the next time I visit, I would love to take a closer look at all of the machines. The patients need to get this procedure done so that they can report for their operation the next day. Before they sit down in front of the digital biometer, Dr. Kumari put some eye drops in their eyes. I thought that this was to clean or dilate their eyes. I observed that most of the patients had trouble following simple instructions like looking at a fixed point or opening and closing their eyes when they were told to. Because they came from remote areas, they did not understand what was going on and were not able to do what the doctors told them to.

 

The optometrists often had to work hard to make the patients comply with the instructions. These patients were encouraged by the hope of glasses, and I could tell by the expressions on their faces that they were eager to be treated and cured. Even when the patients were speaking Tamil, I was able to understand a little bit of what they were saying because Tamil sounded so much like my mother tongue, Telugu. What I really enjoyed was helping  Dr. Kumari write information down from the patients’ personal files to the huge graph where all the details were written down on. It was part of the clearance for surgery and I wrote down all the values for the DBR, including the K1, K2, K3, K4, AxL1, AxL2, age, sex, name, and identification number. The only things I was asked not to take note of were ACD, lens thickness, SRKII, EMM, and -1.00. I really liked doing that job for Dr. Kumari, because I was able to see what exactly is most important about the patients’ eyes before their surgeries are done. I also learned that “pseudophilic” meant that the patient had already undergone surgery in that area. I had to write pseudophilic for some of the slots in K3 and K4 because the patient has already been treated in those areas.

I noticed the next day that many of the patients had orange or yellow bands wrapped around their hands. Also for some patients, the optometrist asks them to read a certain line in a book instead of looking at the wall and reading the letters off of it. This was obviously to test near and far-sightedness. Most of the patients were myopic. I was also introduced to another machine which showed the optometrist the zoomed in version of the eye, but the other side looked just like a digital biometer with a screen that the patients are told to look into. I thought it was really fascinating how people came up with the structure for these machines. One of the things I found most interesting about this entire experience was getting to know the life of the patient. In a report I read, it said that 91.9% of the patients’ lives are much better after they had been treated. I saw a little girl who looked as if she was in about 5th or 6th grade walk in with her father. He was complaining because she would get scolded at school for not being able to read properly. She needed treatment very quickly. Later, Pradipta explained to me that rotitary nystagmus was her condition. She spent most of her time at the autorefractometer, because they needed to first determine the power of her eyes in order to get her treated as quickly as possible. The youngest patient I saw was a little girl named Swathi who was unfortunately suffering from the squint eye. I saw Kavitha, a senior optometrist, take care of her. Before a patient was tested, a pH solution was put in their eye so the doctor can see clearly. Because some of the patients’ eyes are extremely sensitive to the light, they wear sun glasses to protect them from the harsh light. If the patient has a fully matured cataract, the autorefractometer is supposed to inform the doctor the size of the cataract so that they can make new lenses for them and also be able to remove the cataract.

                My first day at the teleophthalmology center, I learned a lot.  An optometrist, Pearlson Prabhu, patiently explained to me the possible diseases or problems which could occur in the eye, and explained to me very well the process every patient went through for their check-up. When I went to the camp at Thiruvallur with them the next day, I saw that the conditions were much worse than the conditions I had observed at the JCOC. Most of the patients in the village were physically or mentally challenged, and of course that was the reason that they could not travel to the JCOC for their check-up. There were four different stations, and I sat at the very last one, the counseling department with one of Dr. Sheila John’s optometrists. Since I already saw how the registration, slit lamp, and autorefractometer worked, I thought the counseling station would be the best use of my time. To my surprise, most of the patients spoke Telugu, not Tamil. I saw that most of the cases were cataracts and were caused because of lack of general health, high blood pressure, and diabetes (diabetic retinopathy). Some people from SCOPE were also there observing, helping, and taking pictures. The process was simple- first; the patient went to the registration and signed in. Then, they were led to the slit-lamp and went through a few simple tests that would be easy for them to follow. After that, they went to the auto refractometer where an optometrist determined the power of each of their eyes. Lastly, they proceed to the counseling department where an optometrist tells them exactly what their condition is, and what steps they have to take next. If they require surgery and do not have BP (which I noticed was pretty rare), they will be given a card that they can bring with them to the JCOC the following week. If they have a cataract and require surgery, but unfortunately have BP, they have to stay in the village because an operation will further deteriorate their health. If they do not require surgery at all, the optometrist will give glasses or medicine and then let them leave. Usually the majority of the patients require surgery because they live in a remote area and a good hygiene is very difficult for them to keep. When we came back from the camp, Pearlson showed me the EMR and how and what information was entered into the graphs. These were important medical records and he helped me understand how the entire process works. He also showed me the teleopthalmology website and I’m so happy that even when I go back to California, I will be able to go through the website and discover new things which interest me. I could go on to write an entire novel about how much I was able to learn in just two weeks and I now know that the next time I come to India, I will definitely set aside at least a month to come back and learn more.

Meanwhile on the first night I was here, I had slept with my contact lenses on, my cornea had some abrasions in it, and I was a patient here! Dr. RDB  examined my eyes  several times during the week and gave me some eye drops along with a prescription for glasses so I did not have to wear my contact lenses too often. I am actually glad I was registered as a patient although I had really come to volunteer because it helped me understand the process so much better.

Although none of these patients could pay for their treatment and were uneducated, the doctors treated them with as much respect and care as some of the richest patients who came in to be tested. The friendly and hospitable attitude of the doctors and the optometrists really impressed and inspired me, and I realized why Sankara Nethralaya had such an excellent reputation. I’ve whole-heartedly enjoyed every minute I’ve spent here and I will never forget the kind people I met. In this prestigious foundation, there was not a single optometrist or doctor who did not treat every patient like family, something that I would also do if I were a doctor. Throughout these two weeks, I was able to understand that Sankara Nethralaya’s mission is not to bring themselves money and fame, but to give people from around India one of the most priceless gifts possible- the gift of vision.

 

Monday, April 29, 2013

I congratulate Sankara Nethralaya Academy for rendering yeomen service for combating blindness in India by Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, Smt. Meira Kumar at the Meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on ‘Population and Public Health


Opening Remarks delivered by Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, Smt. Meira Kumar at the Meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on ‘Population and Public Health’ in Room No. 74, Parliament Library Building, New Delhi on 25 April, 2013

 

It gives me great pleasure to be amidst you at this meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public Health. This Forum provides a platform for the Hon’ble members to interact with Ministers concerned, experts and key officials from nodal Ministries. The discussions here are invaluable in understanding pertinent issues more deeply, creating awareness and preparing future strategies. Today Dr. Tarun Sharma of Sankara Nethralay Academy will be making a presentation on 'Combating Blindness in India'.

 

As per the Rapid assessment of Blindness survey conducted in 2006-07, about one percent of our population is suffering from blindness. The National Programme for the Control of Blindness, started in the year 1976, seeks to reduce this prevalence of blindness to 0.3 per cent through identification and treatment of blind, developing human resource for this purpose, improving quality of service delivery and securing participation of voluntary organisations in eye care. However, government’s initiatives alone are not sufficient and need to be supplemented by doctors, private hospitals, non-governmental organizations and self help groups. All the stakeholders have to collectively strive to light a ray of hope in the lives of those who live in darkness.

 

I congratulate Sankara Nethralaya Academy for rendering yeomen service for combating blindness in India. ‘Excellence through Knowledge’ as I have learnt, is their moto. To fulfill this, they are reaching out to people, spreading knowledge and creating awareness. Let me take this opportunity to compliment each and every person at the Academy especially Dr. S.S. Badrinath, Dr. Tarun Sharma, Dr. Vasanthi Badrinath and Dr. S. Bhaskaran for their dedication, initiative and research which has allowed many to see this beautiful world. I am convinced that the Academy, under the guidance of these eminent personalities, will continue to serve the people in the years to come.

 

In our society, visual impairment is largely looked upon as a disability of an individual. I firmly believe that the differently abled persons have unique abilities and are as capable as anyone else but it is the social prejudices, structures and practices which inhibit them from realizing their full potential. Therefore, we have to transform our mindsets and focus on creating a conducive environment for them to achieve excellence. Reorientation of laws and policies, together with a change in societal attitudes towards the visually impaired, is the need of the hour.


I am confident that today’s deliberations on ‘Combating Blindness in India’ will be instrumental in enabling us to gain an insight into this problem. These inputs will be critical for not only discussing governmental policies and initiatives but also for recommending corrective measures. I hope that the future meetings of this very important Forum will come out with valuable suggestions and recommendations on this issue of concern to all of us.


Thank you.

 


 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Apex court allows pvt colleges to offer MBA, MCA sans AICTE nod


Apex court allows pvt colleges to offer MBA, MCA sans AICTE nod


 

New Delhi, April 27:

In a major decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that private colleges need not seek approval from the All India Council for Technical Education to conduct courses in computer application and management at the postgraduate level. However, AICTE Chairman S.S. Mantha said the Council would file a review petition against this order early next week.

“Our Act (AICTE Act) says which disciplines are covered. Suddenly, one can’t say that it isn’t correct,” Mantha said.

The matter came up before the apex court in 2004 after the Madras High Court had ruled in favour of AICTE.

The Association of Management of Private Colleges and a few other private colleges in Tamil Nadu had filed the case on the grounds that MBA is not a technical course and should not be governed by the AICTE. They further argued that both MBA and MCA were brought under the purview of the AICTE after some amendments in 2000 without being placed before the Parliament as is the normal process.

Unregulated system


Mantha said the changes may not have gone through Parliament but were done in “good faith.”

“One should see the larger problem. Unregulated systems and unfair trade practices will start proliferating if this happens (if these courses do not require AICTE’s approval),” Mantha said, adding that thousands of students are likely to suffer the consequences.

Mantha said there are about 4,000 management institutions and 1,600 institutions running MCA programmes in the country.

However, some private colleges running MBA courses feel that an independent body, on the lines of the Medical Council of India, should control management education in the country, instead of being governed by a body, which they say, is essentially meant for technical education.

The head of a leading private management institution, who requested anonymity, said that the AICTE had earlier impinged on the autonomy of private management colleges and that it was difficult for them to function efficiently under its stringent rules.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the AICTE can play an advisory role and prescribe standards of education by sending notes to the University Grants Commission for colleges affiliated to Universities. But colleges will not need AICTE approval to run these courses.

aesha.datta@thehindu.co.in

 

Sankara Nethralaya Academy, Certificate Course in Hospital Management program is Outstanding

Senior Healthcare professionals find The Sankara Nethralaya Academy`s 3rd batch of Certificate Course in Hospital Management program is Outstanding.

 

The 3rd batch of students of the 12 weekend certificate program in Hospital Management conducted by The Sankara Nethralaya Academy, a unit of Medical Research Foundation passed out successfully on 27th

 

The students belonging to mid and senior level management positions from a broad spectrum of health care institutions ranging from multinational diagnostic centers to multi-specialty hospitals found the course to be of great relevance to their vocation in terms of enhancing their skill sets, equipping them to handle direct and related healthcare issues and to organize their departments much better.

 

While the course won overall praise for its holistic approach to hospital management, in-depth, wide and well researched content and professional levels of tutoring by the faculty,

 

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy team members won praise and admiration for their efforts in making the entire learning experience very pleasant and memorable.

 

Mr A Mahalingam, Assistant Registrar of SN Academy & Program coordinator for this management course presented about the courses and its progress.

 

Padma Bhushan Dr. S S Badrinath – Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya interacted to the management program students and certificates also presented to the candidates.

 

Mrs Akila Ganesan – Senior General Manager – Sankara Nethralaya and Registrar of The Sankara Nethralaya Academy also presented and highlighted the importance of Healthcare management and the roles of the managers in the emerging healthcare industries.

 

Academy team members were also attended the event.

 

Mr A Mahalingam announced the 4th batch of the same course; course will be commemncing from 25th May 2013 at its Vanagaran, Academy campus. Last date for receiving the application for this course is on May 11, 2013. for details, visit : www.thesnacademy.ac.in

 

 

 

Friday, April 26, 2013

Sankara Nethralaya has a very organised system that worked very well for their high number of patients - Report from UK Volunteering Student at Sankara Nethralaya


Sankara Nethralaya has a very organised system that worked very well for their high number of patients.

My experience at Sankara Nethralaya was both educationally stimulating and inspiring into the cultural community of India. During my two months there I had the opportunity to visit and observe many different areas of the hospital, which allowed me to develop my knowledge about ophthalmology and the working system of international hospitals. One thing that struck me most about Sankara Nethralaya was the free services that they provided to patients was couldn't afford basic eye care treatment- from check up, to surgeries and glasses where provided for them, all funded by the organisation. Working alongside the opticians allowed me to realise the vast number of patients and cases that come through Sankara Nethralaya door every day, with opticians seeing up to 100 patients daily. This shows the high flow of patients that come to the hospital from all over India to receive their warm hospitality and brilliant service.

I had the great opportunity of observing several surgeries whilst on my visit in Sankara Nethralaya from basic cataract to complex retinal surgeries. I was able to observe how nurses and doctors prepare the patients for surgery and how all precautions are hygiene standards were met to the highest standard before the surgery is commenced. Physicians examine patients to make sure that they are fit for surgery by checking their blood pressure, pulse, to note down any allergies and other general health checks. Watching the surgeries and how the doctors reassured  patients during and after surgeries allowed me to real how many highly qualified professionals Sankara Nethralaya has and how they are all  very committed to their jobs. I also had the opportunity to see the LASIK machine and how it worked. There were several background checks and examinations needed to be done to make sure that the treatment was right and safe for the patients using the most state of art equipment. Emergency surgeries also took place at the hospital where a consultant would be available 24 hours a day. After surgeries patients were taken to the wards where they were kept up to 2 hours, where the nurses would check their vital signs and after examination they were able to leave the hospital on the same day after their surgeries. Sankara Nethralaya has a very organised system that worked very well for their high number of patients.

During my time at Sankara Nethralaya I also went along to the campsites. They went 3-4 times a week, where they visited different village around Chennai checking peoples eye sights, but normally never went back to the same village, this shows the vast number of rural villages and the large amount of poverty. It struck me as shocking as how many of the patients in the villages was unaware of both their ages and names. Going to the villages gave me the ability to see the true poverty of India and how people survive with the bare minimum and how healthcare and hygiene are something of a myth to them. A large majority of them where illerate and didn't no how to read, so the opticians would use the direction of lines to examine the patients eye sight. Opticians showed patience's  and sincerity when dealing with them. Most of the elderly villagers had cataract and eye problems worse than those people who live in the urban areas , due to the high UV sun rays of light in India and the lack of proper eye protection available to these people, a lot of them developed cataract and other more severe eye problems, some at even a young age. This made me realise how precious and delicate your eyes are and how they needed to be looked after to prevent damage. Patients at the village who needed further treatment would be taken back with us on the bus to the main hospital where they would receive their treatment and glasses all free of cost and also given transport back to their village.

On another day I was posted in the Jaslock community centre, this building was available just for the free service patients who couldn't afford to pay for any of their eye care treatment. I was posted with a group of post graduates and fellowship students, which allowed me to gain insight into their studies. Patients who come to Jaslok get the same treatment  and service as the main Sankara Nethralaya hospital, showing the compassion of the professionals who work there to treat and give the same service to all their patients no matter of their income.

Another day was spent in paediatric ophthalmology, many children and babies are referred to Sankara Nethralaya for treatment as paediatrics is their speciality and it is a tertiary trust. Doctors stay with the same patients throughout their treatment and care, this gives the patients the opportunity to bond with the doctors and for the doctors to be able to have sufficient knowledge of the patients to be able to treat with the right procedures. I learnt that many child are born with or develop a squint at young age, meaning that the eye with the squint is used less and the other eye used much more, so doctors cover the 'good' eye to help give strength back into the muscles in the eye that squints. Also many children in India may catch illnesses such as meningitis, which could damage the optical nerves, although physiotherapy and glasses can help improve conditions that are already there, the child may not respond to light and could end up with vision not returning to them due to the pressure within the head, effecting the pressure in the eye causing continual damage to the eye. Many children can also develop cataract at a young age, due to this their lens need to be removed and a replaced of a silicon faux lens, although this removed the cataract, glasses will still be needed lifelong.

The ultrasound department was another part of the hospital I was able to visit.  Here I observed  how a consultant saw within the eye, as the ultrasound produced a picture of the retina and the different layers of the eye to see detachment or where damage has occurred in the different mass or density of the tissues. Doctors can show a comparison of the normal eye compared to the damaged eye, this helps doctors to identify tumorous cells and helps the doctors to see the shape and size of the eye ball for surgical usage.

Sankara Nethralaya also has a low vision clinic within the hospital which is used for patients who do not have much eye sight and need much longer, more intense glasses for both long and short eyesight. These patients find everyday life hard and simple things like using a computer or reading becomes very difficult. Sankara Nethralaya provides services to these patients to help them deal with their poor eye sight. The optician teaches them tips to use on the computer to help eye sight, devices which help patients to read and colours helping the patient to identify objects. I learnt that the opticians needed a lot of patience's and time to find how much the patient can see by using eye sight charts for both long and short distance reading.

Ophthalmology photographs are also used in Sankara Nethralaya to capture the retinal area of the eye using a zoom camera and different coloured filters. Patients are injected with a dye, which helps to see if there is any leakage or damage within the capillaries in the eye and is taken every 3 seconds to see the different layers of the eye. The camera has to be focused and pictures taken fast as the dye only lasts for about 30 seconds in the eye. This devices helps as if there is no dye that flows into the eye, this shows potential blockage of an artery or a vein. Another machine used is the slit lamp, this enables the doctors or opticians to examine the outer eye, such as the cornea and lens. These pictures and devices allow the consultants to have detailed pictures of the eye, enabling them to make an accurate diagnosis.

In Conclusion, my 2 months volunteering experience in India was amazing and fulfilling. Sankara Nethralaya allowed me to experience real India and allowed me to realise the vast majority of poverty and the large number of different rare eye cases. During my time I also visited research labs, where a lot of research and work goes in to discovering new cures. I talked to a group of training nurses, telling them about hospitals in England and the differences that I could see between healthcare in England and India. Sankara Nethralaya taught me a large deal about eye and how they are such a vital part of our body.  I learnt that a lot of problems within the body can be discovered by examination of the eye such an diabetes and also many other issues effect our eyes as well, such as heart problems, family history and allergies. What I learnt most from Sankara Nethralaya was how they give such brilliant service  and patient care and allow all people of all backgrounds and ages into their hospital. By throwing myself into the environment of the hospital, I was put out of my comfort zone, challenging myself to deal with new situations and absorbing new information daily. Sankara Nethralaya taught me the meaning being 'The Temple Of The Eye', allowing me to understand the value we should all have for our eyes and the value we should all have for each other. Their warm service and brilliant facilities showed me how the work of Doctor Badrinath SS has had such an impact on eye care in India. I truly had an amazing time working and observing in Sankara Nethralaya and I am very thankful for all the people that helped me while I was there will be hopefully be returning in the future.

Ms Cassie Rao – London
27th April 2013

 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Certificate Awarding Function to Sankara Nethralaya Employees on 05-04-2013

Welcoming the Chief guest, Honourable members from the DG Vaishnav College, awardees, the Members of Medical Research Foundation, Vision Research Foundation and the Sankara Nethralaya family, Ms.Sudha Mohan, Sr.Manager, HR, aptly quoted William Butler Yeats who said “Education is not filling a pail, but the lighting of fire”, to ignite the passion of learning and acquire knowledge. She complimented Lion Sri Haridas, Secretary, DG Vaishnav College and member Board of Governors, the Sankara Nethralaya Academy for his initiative in conducting a Basic Computer Training program for Sankara Nethralaya employees at the DG Vaishnav College.
Col.N.Raghavan, Projects, Sankara Nethralaya, Introduced the Chief Guest, Sri.V.R.Gopalakrishnan, Senior Journalist and profusely thanked him for gracing the occasion, he recalled his long and interesting association with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He highlighted that a prolific writer and thinker, Sri.Gopalakrishnan was a man endowed with a rare quality that coupled scholarly education and politeness. He mentioned that the immensely popular Rama’s café at Kanchipuram belonged to Sri.Gopalakrishnan’s family and he has very magnanimously offered their Sri Rama buildings at Greams Road for the operation of the Jaslok Community Ophthalmology Center at a highly subsidized rent.
Starting off with a Prayer to Lord Ganesha, the Chief guest, Sri.V.R.Gopalakrishnan, said he felt diffident, but chose to attend the function because of the long association he had with Dr.SS.Badrinath dating to the early 70s. He highlighted the juxtaposition of events and called it divine persuasion when Dr.SS. Badrinath was called on to operate upon the Paramacharya and how he played host when the Badrinaths stayed for a week at Kanchipuram. Sri Gopalakrishnan hailed Dr.SS.Badrinath as an expert in treating vitreous haemorrage with the help of a Xenon laser, which was scarcely available in India then and how the veteran used this to advantage while treating him.
Shri Gopalakrishnan was torrential and inexorable in his anecdotes, exhaustively quoting scriptures of Thayumanavar, Appudhi Adigal, Koorathazwar and Adhi Sankara he touched upon Paramacharya’s astuteness which brought upon cosmic frequency in every aspect beyond his philosophy and doctrines. Sri Gopalkrishna deftly quoted Adi Shankara’s Bhaja Govindam, wherein the sage admonishes manhood as “Moodamathe”, that no matter how scholarly one were, liberation was only through wisdom and one must pursue that path through Karma, Bhakthi or Gnana and by being selfless in service like Dr.SS.Badrinath.
Dr.SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus introducing Lion Shri P. Haridas, Secretary, DG Vaishnav College, said that he was a humane personality, a legal luminary and a charismatic man who founded many educational institutions. He was profusely thankful for the initiative that Shri Haridas had taken to train Sankara Nethralaya employees at the DG Vaishnav College. He showered encomiums for the steady support Shri Haridas rendered for the Television production of Sankara Nethralaya programs.
Distributing the certificates to employees who had undergone “Basic Training in Computer education”, Dr.S.Narasimhan, Principal, DG Vaishnav College and Dr.T.Santhanam, Head of the Computer Science Department, echoed that their institution traversed beyond the realm of education and training, to being resourceful in the interest of the community by prominently associating with NGOs for transcending education both to the public and engaging in projects such as “Green Club”.
A total of 67 certificates were distributed to Sankara Nethralaya employees who had successfully completed the basic training programme. The function also witnessed awarding of service recognition certificates to Sri.Suresh Kumar, Projects for his dedicated involvement in the Sri City Sankara Nethralaya project and Sri.Narasimhulu, House keeping department for his exemplary integrity shown in promptly handing over a lost wallet containing money.
The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Sri.Sampath Kumar, Head, IT and Systems, Sankara Nethralaya.

Sankara Nethralaya makes its presence in the city of prosperity - Sricity Sankara Nethralaya



Tamil New Year’s Day falling on 14th April 2013 marked the culmination of a Special Economic Zone’s dream to bring a human touch to its endeavour in bringing about a world class industrial facility and hub and marked yet another mile stone in the journey of a service oriented eye care institution towards providing quality eye care across boundaries. The day marked Sri City Special Economic Zone and Sankara Nethralaya’s dream of providing quality ophthalmic care to the employees of the various units in the zone and cost free care to the poor and needy villagers of the region.

The chanting of Vedas and mantras at the first floor of Sri City’s Central hospital marked the auspicious beginning to the inaugural function of the Sri City Sankara Nethralaya to function from this venue, this was followed by the ceremonial ribbon cutting by Dr.MYS.Prasad, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in the presence of the distinguished invitees, donors/supporters, well wishers, senior management and staff members of both organizations, vendors/contractors to the project and local villagers who would be benefiting out of the facility. After a quick honouring of the chief guest, guest of honour, the consultant who would be posted at the new facility and the internal and external teams involved in the project, the action moved to the Sri City business center.

The proceedings at the filled to capacity business center started with a warm welcome address by Srimati Akila Ganesan, Senior General Manager, Sankara Nethralaya and an invocation song to Gajanan the Lord of auspicious beginnings by Ms Sumana Vishnu Vahan, wife of Dr Vishnu Vahan, Consultant, Sri Srinivasa Sankara Nethralaya.

Speaking on the occasssion Shri Ravi Sanna Reddy, MD, Sri City Special Economic Zone remarked that it was both the toughest and happiest day in his life as the 45 day challenge was completed with clockwork precision, he expressed his profuse thanks to Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya for consenting to his request for a joint eye care initiative and attributed its inception to his blessings. Shri Reddy closed his address with a note of thanks to the Chief Guest, Guest of honour Professor Mani Sundaram, the first Principal of the REC, Trichy and former Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, Shri Chandrasekhar formerly of L&T who brought about the alliance between the two organizations and Dr S.Bhaskaran, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya.

Dr SS.Badrinath started his address on a vibrant note that if the Sri Srinivasa Sankara Nethralaya embodied Balaji service the Sri City Sankara Nethralaya would embody Sriharikota service, he complimented the teams involved for their ‘4 week magic’ denoting the short frame of time in which the project was completed. He added in lighter vein that the new facility would propel itself to glorious heights in record speed as it was inaugurated by the head of India’s premier rocket launch center. Dr Badrinath highlighted that the new facility would serve the staff members of industrial units in the zone, serve as a referral hospital for camp patients and as a cost free eye care center for the poor and needy villagers in the region. Dr SS.Badrinath declared that Nanobiotechnology and stem cell therapy would bring about sweeping changes in the clinical processes and treatment and Sankara Nethralaya as a pioneer in these fields would enter into a larger area beyond ophthalmology in the years to come.

Shri Chandrasekhar the man who acted as the bridge between the two institutions congratulated the two pioneers for coming together and making it happen in a short time. He made a surprise announcement that Dr Sathya Atluri, the world famous Mechanical and Aerospace Engineer from Phoenix, USA and recipient of the Padma Bhushan for 2013 has made a large contribution to the new facility and read out his greeting message for the inaugural function to the thunderous applause of the gathering. Dr Krishna Kumar, Principal Elite School of Optometry gave an interesting note on the pioneering role of Dr SS.Badrinath and Professor PP.Santanam in the development of occupational optometry, finding a place of importance for this field and its relevance in overall ophthalmic care. He added that as an eye care facility located in an industrial zone the Sri City Sankara Nethralaya would enable better vision to the employees of the diverse units to enable vision and better productivity through occupational optometry.

Delivering the Chief Guest’s address Dr .MYS Prasad, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre thanked the organizers for the honour, he remarked that it was age old wisdom that one should do a noble deed on New year’s day and there could not be anything more noble than starting a service oriented health care facility. He expressed his happiness and satisfaction that just like the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sri Harikota the Sri City Special Economic Zone also did not displace or disturb local villagers but made them an inclusive part of its growth. He expressed that as one grew old one had the tendency to look for torch bearers to carry forth one’s work and Sri Sanna Reddy was a great hope in this direction. The guest of honour Professor Manisundaram, the first Principal of the Regional Engineering College, Trichy and Vice-Chancellor of the Bharathidasan University had a high word of praise for his student Sri Ravi Sanna Reddy and added that the government should outsource its projects to dynamic people like him to ensure timely completion.

The high power function came to an end with acknowledgements for their contribution towards timely completion of the project and kick off to the Sankara Nethralaya and Sri City teams and vendors by Sri Suresh Kumar, Manager Projects, Sankara Nethralaya and a warm vote of thanks by Dr Eesh Nigam, Associate Consultant, who would be in-charge of the Sri City Sankara Nethralaya.

 

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy invites applications for 4th batch of weekend Certificate Course in Hospital Management.

Dear Sir / Madam,

Warm Greetings from The Sankara Nethralaya& SN Academy, Chennai!

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy invites applications for 4th batch of weekend Certificate Course in Hospital Management.

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy (TSNA), a unit of Medical Research Foundation, is offering a weekend certificate course in hospital management.

The course is open for individuals in the supervisory or managerial positions in hospitals and related health care institutions.The course is designed to increase the overall understanding of management issues and concepts by mid-level and senior managers to help them make well–informed decisions.It will also improve leadership quality and equip them with effective team building techniques.

The course draws from the rich, real-time experiences of hospital management and the latest managerial techniques from the subject experts and aims to prepare individuals in supervisory or managerial positions in the health care industry to become more effective in their work.

COURSE DETAILS:

Title of the Course:

Certificate Course in Hospital Management (CCHM)

 

Eligibility for the course:

Candidates applying for this course must have pursued any Bachelor’s Degree programme.

Hospital / Healthcare Institutions - sponsored candidates also welcome for this course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Age: No bar

 

Medium of the course: English

 

Duration of the course:

12 weekends (on Saturdays), 3.00 – 6 .00pm

 

Deadline to receive applications:

11th May 2013

 

Date of Course Commencement:

25th May 2013, Saturday

 

Modules for the course:

Communication skills, HR in Health Care Customer Service, Hospital Accreditations, Supply Chain Management, IT and Health care, Health care Laws, Health Insurance & Claims Management, Total Quality Management, Training & Developments, Financial management and Hospital Tour (Sankara Nethralaya).

 

Certification awarded by:

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy

Unit of Medical Research Foundation, Chennai

 

Fees for the course:

Rs 15,000/- (Rupees Fifteen Thousands) + Service Tax 12.36%)

The DD to be infavour of MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION, CHENNAI.

 

Venue for the session / course:

The SN Academy, 9, Vanagaram – Ambattur Road, Kil Ayanambakkam,Chennai – 600 095

Land marks for Academy

Next to Apollo Hospital, Ayanambakkam &

Sreevaru Venkatachalapathi Kalyana Mandapam

 

Contact for more information and registration:

A Mahalingam

Program Coordinator.

     (M)97104 85295

E – Mail : mahali@snmail.org

          WEB www.thesnacademy.ac.in

 

What Next – After +2,career counseling session for Allied Health Science Courses on 05th May 2013, Sunday


Completion of schooling and embarking on the next academic stage is the most critical step and phase of shaping the career of every student. The Sankara Nethralaya Academy the academic arm of renowned ophthalmic care and research institution Sankara Nethralaya welcomes all of you on the cross roads of your future to attend a most interesting and informative counseling session on the various exciting and career and growth oriented courses offered by it.

Healthcare and its administration are emerging as a high growth area and South India is fast becoming the preferred healthcare destination, this has triggered a huge demand for qualified and trained healthcare professionals at all levels. The Sankara Nethralaya Academy a part of Sankara Nethralaya’s glorious tradition of quality healthcare and dissemination of knowledge would be the right place to enhance your knowledge, expertise and mould your career in this most noble and rewarding field.

  What Next – After +2

Attention to +2 Completed Students and their parents

Attend our career counseling session for Allied Health Science Courses on 05th May 2013, Sunday

At

9.00 am

Sri V D Swami Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya

No 18 College Road, Chennai – 600 006

To meet the subject experts

Our Academy offers Job Oriented – Allied Health Science Courses for +2( Higher Secondary) Completed candidates with Science stream .

Academy is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Dr M G R Medical University, Guindy, Chennai to offer various diploma and degree courses. 

To know more about this, pl contact:  Mr Kesavan R P - @ 94440 33082

Admission / Entry free for the session,

But pre registration is must.
 
 

 

 

Career Counseling Session for +2 Completed Candidates


 
What Next – After +2

Attention to +2 Completed Students and their parents

Attend our career counseling session for Allied Health Science Courses

on 05th May 2013, Sunday

At

9.00 am

Sri V D Swami Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya

No 18 College Road, Chennai – 600 006

To meet the subject experts

Our Academy offers Job Oriented – Allied Health Science Courses for +2( Higher Secondary) Completed candidates with Science stream .

To know more about this, pl contact:  Mr Kesavan R P - @ 94440 33082

Admission / Entry free for the session,

But pre registration is must.

9.00am – 12.00 Noon.

Volunteering Students Experience at Sankara Nethralaya



Dear All,

Volunteering for community projects is an amazing experience and learning, it brings along with it the genuine sense of satisfaction of serving the underprivileged, particularly the elderly at their hour of need, a process which evolves one to be compassionate and appreciate values.

Kudos to the two young students Ms.Shruthi Varadharajan and her friend Ms.Dheepthaa, who came to Sankara Nethralaya for volunteering.
 
I am happy to note that they found the experience very fulfilling and wish them the very best in future.

Best wishes,

Dr.S.S.Badrinath
Chairman - Emeritus
 

Volunteering Students Experience at Sankara Nethralaya

Ms Shruti Varadarajan


 My friend Dheepthaa and I had the incredible opportunity of spending two exciting weeks of our summer vacation at the SankaraNethralaya Hospital in Chennai.

When we walked into the complex on Monday (April 1), the first thing that struck me wasn’t the mammoth-sized main building, nor was it the enormous compound- it was the courtesy and the helpfulness with which the staff welcomed us, and introduced us to the hospital. We were taken around the complex, and introduced to its various departments, by Mr. A Mahalingam from the SankaraNethralaya Academy, who was extremely helpful and answered each one of our numerous questions pertaining to the hospital, the patients and the various diseases that affected the eye, in detail.

From the second day, we spent our time in the Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre (JCOC). This center offers high-quality treatment to the lower-income strata of the Indian society, pro bono. Thanks to their efforts, the rural people of India now have better accessibility to health care, particularly eye care.

Although I was a little nervous, at first, to be working at the JCOC and worried that I might be in the way of the staff, my anxiety was unfounded. The JCOC staff comprised of the friendliest and most helpful people I had met, who were willing to explain every single step that I had to carry out, with the utmost patience. Despite the fact that I made several errors in the beginning, they continued to instruct and teach me without getting annoyed. Out of all the things I did at the JCOC, I think I will always remember the cheerful and friendly staff who guided me through the two weeks.

Working at the JCOC was a lot of hard work, as there would be a continuous flow of patients coming in from various camps, brought by bus from distant rural locations. Almost all of them were illiterate, and half of them didn’t even speak Tamil. Diagnosing their diseases and treating them is an arduous process. I was always exhausted at the end of the morning, but nonetheless, I felt pleased that I had contributed in a small way to helping our society.

The one thing I will take away from this experience is the effort that this organization puts into its treatment of their patients. While there are innumerable eye hospitals in Chennai that cater to the eye-care of rich people, there are close to none that care for the poor. SankaraNethralaya is one hospital that treats its patients, whether rich and poor, in the same manner. I didn’t learn how to operate on patients, or how to administer medication in the short two weeks that I attended, but what I did learn was that compassion and love for all the people of India, whether rich or poor, is this hospital’s motto. And from today, I hope to make it mine as well.

I’m extremely grateful to the people at the SankaraNethralaya Academy, and to the staff at JCOC, for welcoming me into their fold and making these two weeks an incredibly enriching and memorable experience.
Ms Shruti Varadarajan & Ms Dheepthaa