by Suman Gupta
Bangalore, June 7, 2023: Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore to commemorate 15 years of service to eye care unveiled, “Sudarshan”, a technology-enabled Retinal Image Reading Centre and commemorated the Shri V Venkata Reddy Block, by His Holiness,Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathy Swamigal, Sankaracharya of Kanchi.
Ashwini Puneet Rajkumar, the wife of well-known late Kannada actor Puneet Rajkumar, Guru Ganesan MD ARM India and CK Venkatraman, MD Titan were also present.
Sankara Eye Hospital Bangalore, established in 2008 under the aegis of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust, is a super-speciality tertiary eye care hospital equipped with world-class technology to provide comprehensive quality eye care services comparable to the best in international standards. Over 2.54 lakh underprivileged have been provided surgical care free of cost and 1.4 million children have been screened for eye diseases.
As a part of his Anugraha Bhashanam HH Vijayaendra Saraswati Swamigal shared, “The philosophy of wanting to serve that Dr Ramani & Dr Radha showed, found philanthropists from this city willing to support and that has ensured that Sankara has become a movement in Bangalore. I am proud that ‘equality’ is practised in true spirit with every person irrespective of socio-economic status having the same high-quality eye care.”
Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri awardee Dr. R.V. Ramani, Founder and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Hospital India, “The vision of the Sankara Eye Foundation, India, is to work towards freedom from preventable and curable blindness. At Bangalore, we have been the first to offer comprehensive care in ocular Oncology and also pioneered techniques in corneal, retinal and paediatric eye treatment. The centre has had 2 Limca records for the largest screening of children in a day to building the first tactile braille national flag. Under the leadership of Dr Umesh, we will continue to serve the people of Karnataka and other states with the best in eye care.”
Professor Holz, Professor Finger, and Dr. Wintergerst of the University of Bonn who have been key collaborators shared,“We would like to thank our partners from the Sankara Eye Hospital on behalf of our fruitful collaboration over the years. We are upbeat that the Retina Reading Centre would certainly help in providing important information for clinical research and enable innovative treatment strategies for retinal diseases”
“Sudharshan” as a facility would enhance cost-effective access to specialised retinal care for diabetics who could be screened using teleophthalmology. Images from the field would be annotated by specialists at the centre who have been trained in running similar facilities at the University of Bonn, Germany. Ai would be used to aid in the identification of those in need of immediate care. The centre would also explore how technology could be leveraged to ensure every person at risk has access to care.
The V Venkata Reddy Block recognises the contribution of a noted philanthropist who has been a pillar of support towards the establishment of the hospital in Bangalore.
Bhaskar Bhat, Board member Tata Sons, lauded the institution and shared,” The Hospital’s first letters or SEH stand for, spirituality, excellence and humanity. Blessed by the Sankaracharyas the centre has established credibility for the high-quality eye care delivered with empathy”.
About Sankara Eye Foundation : Sankara Eye Foundation India is a Not for Profit organisation committed to providing quality eye care services to the poor and marginalised sections of society. Started as a small primary health care centre in the year 1977 by Dr R.V. Ramani and Dr Radha Ramani, today Sankara is one of the largest and fastest growing social enterprises managing 13 super speciality eye care hospitals located across Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Our Network Hospitals are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to perform advanced eye surgeries.
