We take great pride in drawing your attention that The Sankara Nethralaya Academy; a unit of Medical Research Foundation, Chennai has been chosen to conduct the following career oriented Allied Health Science courses for the academic year 2012 – 13 in affiliation with it by the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University

Allied Health Sciences – Diploma Courses (2 Years)
1. Diploma in Ophthalmic Nursing Assistant
2. Diploma in Operation Theatre & Anaesthesia Technology

Allied Health Science courses – B.Sc. Degree (3 Years)
1. B.Sc (Medical Laboratory Technology)

Allied Health Science – Special Postgraduate Programmes – (2years)
1. MBA (Hospital & Health Systems Management)

As part of awareness creation and enrolment initiative for the above mentioned high value diploma, degree and management courses in Allied Health Science courses, Shri A.Mahalingam, Academic Officer, Sankara Nethralaya Academy and his team conducted career counselling sessions at Ambattur and Kanchipuram. These sessions were very well received by the local student community and also helped in educating parents present on the various new opportunities that lay ahead in the high growth field of Allied Health Science. More than 200 students participated in the sessions and collected application forms being issued on the spot

Shri A.Mahalingam announced that the 3rd batch of Certificate Course in Hospital Management, a two year diploma course in ‘Refraction &Dispensing’ and an online eMBA in Hospital Management would be commencing from this academic year. He added that the next counselling session would be conducted at the Sankara Nethralaya Academy premises located at Haddows Road.

It was a significant occasion for an institution whose guiding and founding principle is to acquire and disseminate knowledge for the common good, an institution which believes in promoting the cause of India centric research. May 2nd 2012, saw the institution of the Professor S.Krishnamoorthy Rao Gold Medal Award, to be presented to the most outstanding PhD student passing out of the Vision and Medical Research Foundations. The award was being instituted by Dr KS.Vasan, Managing Director, Sankara Nethralaya in honour and memory of his illustrious father late Professor S.Krishnamoorthy Rao an accomplished mathematician of yester years. The programme started with a mellifluous invocation song by Dr.S.Meenakshi, Director Academics, followed by a warm welcome by Dr Ronnie George, Director- Research, Vision Research Foundation to the Chief Guest, dignitaries and the first recipient of the award Dr Kandalam Mallikarjuna. Dr.George touched upon the activities of the Vision Research Foundation, the impressive number of PhD students it produced, the outstanding quality of its research and how the award would help in encouraging researchers and scientists. Introducing the Chief Guest to the audience Dr. P.R Deepa, Co-Ordinator, BITS highlighted his multifaceted personality and accomplishments in terms of his academic distinctions, special areas of research, patents that his research findings have won, expert guidance to aspiring PhD students, overseas assignments, membership in prestigious scientific bodies, membership on the editorial board of scientific journals and most importantly his critical role in mobilizing funds for the various Birla Institutions.

Speaking on the occasion Dr KS. Vasan, Managing Director, Sankara Nethralaya and son of Late Professor S. Krishnamoorthy Rao made a spontaneous and warm recollection of the many facets of his illustrious father. He recalled the mathematical genius, the warm family man and the compassionate teacher who would not charge fees from his underprivileged students, so much like Sankara Nethralaya. Dr KS.Vasan thanked the chief guest Dr Ranendra Narayan Saha for honouring the occasion and the memory of father with his August presence and Dr SS.Badrinath for his presense and help in instituting the award in his father’s memory at Sankara Nethralaya. He closed his speech with the observation that his Father, Mother and Dr SS.Badrinath continue to be the leading lights in his life journey, following which he was felicitated by Dr Krishna Kumar, Deputy Director-Research, Vision Research Foundation. Dr Lily Therese, Head of the Department, L&T Microbiology Department took audience on a virtual tour of the Vidyasagar Institute of Basic Sciences since its inception, its goals, help to poor students, summer camps and prestigious affiliations. The first Professor Krishnamoorthy Rao Gold Award was presented to the most outstanding PhD student Dr Kandalam Mallikarjuna by the Chief guest Dr Ranendra Narayan Saha amidst thunderous applause from the audience following which he gave an in-depth account on his doctoral work in terms of hunting for melanoma secrets and his breakthrough findings on tumour, cancer, prevention of relapse and proliferation of cancer cells.

Delivering the Chief Guest’s note Dr Ranendra Narayan Saha, Deputy Director, Research &Education Development & Administration &Dean, Educational Development Division, BITS, Pilani, thanked the hosts for the honour bestowed on him, he expressed his lifelong admiration for Sankara Nethralaya and its architect Dr SS.Badrinath, he congratulated Sankara Nethralaya for its stellar role in supporting and encouraging research and observed that the Gold Medal award would go a long way in this direction. Dr Saha observed that some of the most leading researchers and scientists working in laboratories worldwide are Indians and they could do great work in their own country if provided an opportunity and the necessary infrastructure, he dwelt on the need for collaborative research and exhorted researchers to also don the role of scientific entrepreneurs to make research viable and translate the benefits of their findings to the masses. Dr Saha proclaimed that India could control the world economy if the potential of its research was channelized and leveraged.

The function ended with a warm Vote of thanks by Dr Preethi Mehta Senior scientist Department of Nanobiotechnology.

Sankara Nethralaya and Madras city Opthalmological Association jointly conducted a meet “UPDATE ON UVEITIS” on 29th April 2012, Sunday at Sri.V.D.Swamy Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya, between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm.

The event primarily focused on the recent technological advancements in diagnosis, management of Uveitis and new hi-end treatment modalities currently available for clinical procedures.

The gathering of over 67 Ophthalmologists’ on a warm Sunday, to participate in the meet, amply indicated the interest to enhance their skills on technical ‘know-how’.

Welcoming the gathering, Dr.Amala E George eventually elaborated on the diagnosis of Non-infectious Uveitis.  Following this was Dr.Jyotirmay Biswas hands-on experiences that he shared with regard to the ramification and management of Non-infectious Uveitis.

Next on the agenda was Dr. Mohan Rajan’s lucid talk on Uveitis Cataract extraction which inspired the participants on how to deftly handle such cases. Dr.Parthopratim Dutta and others shared their experiences on how they dealt with challenging Uveitis cases.

Then was the mind blowing session – “Interactive Quiz” by Dr.Mamta Agarwal and “Question and answer forum” that made every one present, spell bound.

With an air of enlightened feel for the participants, the event concluded successfully post lunch.

The Diploma awarding ceremony of the second batch of Sankara Nethralaya executives was held on Thursday, 19th April, 2012 at the Sri V.D Swami Auditorium. Shri Suresh Kumar, Manager, SN Centers the compeer for the evening got the program started with a warm welcome to the dignitaries and a short note on the course. The proceedings got off to an auspicious start with an invocation song by Dr S.Meenakshi, Director Academics followed by a welcome address by Dr R.Krishna Kumar, Principal, Elite School of Optometry to the  Chief Guest of the evening Shri M.V Subbiah, Former Chairman, Murugappa Group, Father Christie, Director & Professor of Decision Sciences, LIBA, the evening’s Guest of honour, executives receiving their diplomas and the senior management of Sankara Nethralaya, following which the esteemed dignitaries were introduced by Shri G.Ramachandran, Honourary Secretary, Sankara Nethralaya and Ms B.Karpagapriya, Senior Manager, Training and Development with an interesting account of their credentials and achievements and honoured with a memento by Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya

Speaking on the occasion Shrimathi Akila Ganesan, Registrar, Sankara Nethralaya gave a detailed account on how the whole idea of a course to improve the performance of Sankara Nethralaya executives was conceptualized and the curriculum and modules finalized with critical inputs from LIBA. She explained that such a course would help in better team building, smoother inter-departmental working and a holistic approach to finding solutions to day to day issues. Shrimathi Akila explained the other areas of collaborative learning pursued by the Sankara Nethralaya jointly with institutions of repute; she observed that it was most heartening to note that there was already a qualitative improvement in the performance of the first batch of executives who had completed the diploma in healthcare from LIBA.  A brief note on how Sankara Nethralaya provided an ideal work atmosphere for professional growth and nurturing of leadership qualities and how the senior management set a personal example of great leadership was delivered by Dr. S. Meenakshi, Director Academics, followed by a brief account on what makes a leader and the need to inculcate such qualities by Shri S. Vishwanathan, DGM, Optical Services.

Students completing the course were awarded their diplomas by the Chief Guest, followed by a feedback on the course, experiences in the classroom and a collective assurance on behalf of the entire batch to implement the classroom learning in real time and bring about a perceptible change by Ms. M.Rajeswari, Head of the Department, Contact lens Department who was among the successful candidates. Speaking on behalf of the faculty team Father Christie congratulated the students completing the course; he had a high word of praise for their deep involvement, commitment levels, regularity and adhering to a rigorous course discipline in the midst of their professional and family commitments. He expressed that although LIBA conducts such courses for top corporates across industry, the association with Sankara Nethralaya and the fact that a qualitative change could be brought to its noble efforts were most fulfilling. Delivering the chief guest’s note Shri M.V. Subbiah underlined his points with a generous dose of humour and interesting anecdotes. He emphasized the need to learn from one’s own experiences which according to him was the best way to learn. Shri Subbiah observed that Loyola as an institution run by the Jesuit principles of giving back to society and Sankara Nethralaya led by Dr SS.Badrinath whom he described as a Karmayogi was a great match. He congratulated the executives completing the course and exhorted them to give back to society, not as money but as time spent in its welfare.

The function ended with a hearty Vote Of Thanks by A Mahalingam, Academic officer, The Sankara Nethralaya Academy to the dignitaries, senior management members of Sankara Nethralaya, the TSNA team, members from the press and everyone assembled in the auditorium, followed by dinner at the rooftop.

Vision therapy fellowship offered by the Sankara Nethralaya Academy was successfully completed by Mr. Samuel Livingstone from Chennai. The fellowship course in Vision therapy is a six months program designed to provide intensive clinical, teaching and research experience in behavioral and developmental vision care, binocular vision, and vision therapy. Mr. Samuel was trained extensively in the Binocular Vision/ Vision therapy clinic of Sankara Nethralaya. He expressed immense satisfaction for the confidence he gained in managing a variety of binocular vision dysfunctions during the training period. As a private practitioner, this training has opened up new horizons in his primary eye care practice.

Mr. K. Samuel Livingstone’s personal feedback reads as follows:

“It was indeed a great pleasure for me to complete my fellowship in vision therapy in such a renowned institute. I really enjoyed my fellowship during my period of 6 months, were I discovered many new skills and techniques. The faculty in the binocular vision department were so kind enough to me, which helped me to solve all my queries.

The amount of exposure, which I got here, was good and I really cherish all those days. The Binocular vision classes at “Elite school of optometry” had a very good impact on cementing a good practical and theoretical knowledge. I really thank all those who helped me throughout my fellowship and I wish that, binocular vision department reach greater heights in the near future”.

The fact that additional seating arrangement had to be made to accommodate the beyond capacity invitees and participants assembled at  the Sri VD Swami Auditorium on the 30th of March is a clear indication of the overwhelming response to the Ophthalmic Nursing Seminar being held there. The seminar was organized to educate participants on the general principles of nursing, healthcare and the finer nuances of ophthalmic nursing.

The function started with a hearty welcome and interesting note on the objectives of the Sankara Nethralaya Academy by Shri A.Mahalingam, Academic Officer, followed by a brief note on the objectives of the seminar by Ms H.Priya, Professor, Nursing. The participants were enriched by a high level understanding and deep knowledge  on a broad spectrum of subjects, directly and indirectly related to nursing like Infection Control Issues in Ophthalmic Practice, Basics of Electronic Medical Records(EMR), Emergency Management of Eye Injuries & Nurses in Mobile OT and Rural camps, Counseling and emotional support for patients with Vision loss, Handling of Ophthalmic Patients – Pre / Per/post and Ambulatory care, Refractive Procedure : LASIK, Paediatric Ophthalmology & Role of Nurses in Ophthalmology by speeches on these subjects by experts and Senior Professionals in the respective fields.

The seventh internship certificate awarding ceremony of the students from the Twintech International University College & Technology held at the Sankara Nethralaya Academy on the 28th of March 2012 was a perfect picture of the continuing understanding and synergy between the Sankara Nethralaya Academy and the Malaysian University in taking students to the next level in their chosen vocation. The jubilant students all set for the golden hour and the equally excited members of the faculty and management of the Sankara Nethralaya Academy reflected the deep involvement and joy of both partners.

Delivering the welcome address Ms Akila Ganesan, Registrar, Sankara Nethralaya Academy expressed her joy to be present on the happy and momentous occasion, she congratulated the students completing their internship and highlighted the various options that lay ahead of them, she also gave them healthy advice on how they should always place the patient’s interest foremost before everything else. Ms. Akila Ganesan warmly welcomed and thanked the Chief Guest Dr. Haliza Abdul Mutalib, Head and Associate Professor from the Universiti of Kebangsan, Malaysia and recalled that she was instrumental in signing the MoU with Twintech University, adding that she could be the right role model for the students assembled.

Speaking on the occasion Shri S.Vishwanathan, DGM, Optometry Department highlighted the exposure that the students completing their internship, received in every major department in addition to the continuing medical education programmes and case presentation emphasizing strongly on the strict and thorough evaluation methods adopted on completion of each program. Shri Vishwanathan congratulated the students from Malaysia on their ‘Log Book’ practice and commended that this could be something we could emulate too. Speaking on behalf of the students Ms Chong Lee gave an emotional account of their experience and showered everyone at the Academy and Sankara Nethralaya with fulsome praise. Chief Guest Dr Haliza congratulated the students for coming out with flying colours and reiterating that the MoU between the two institutions was a great decision indeed, she advised the students assembled to treat knowledge and learning as tools to serve the people and promised to speak to a number of Malaysian Universities including the Toon Hussain University on the Optometry Internship program.

The function ended with a thanks note from Ms. Subha, member Sankara Nethralaya Academy.

L&T and Sankara Nethralaya have cherished strong association. L&T has built and supported many facilities for Nethralaya. Sankara Nethralaya has also been conducting many eye camps for L&T and Prayas, providing quality eye care service to the community of underprivileged. As a step forward in this collaborative Corporate Social Initiative, Mr. K.V. Rangaswami, Advisor to Chairman, presented a cheque of Rs. 4 lakhs towards L&T’s sponsorship for a Topcon Slit Lamp equipment which will be used by Nethralaya in all their eye camps.

In addition, the list and names of 273 cornea donors — all L&T staff and family members who had pledged their eyes – was also presented by KVR to Dr. Sheila John, Head Tele Ophthalmology, Sankara Nethralaya at HQ Chennai on March 29, 2012.

Speaking during the occasion in the midst of the team that helped launch the eye donation drive, Mr. K.V. Rangaswami (KVR) said that L&T and Sankara Nethralaya’s association is a testimony to the quality and commitment provided to society at large in eye care. Hailing eye donation as a great noble act, KVR said that such initiatives should be well communicated to the public to facilitate greater awareness for eye donation and people’s participation.

Mr. V.S Ramana (VSR), Head Corporate Communications set the context by emphasizing on the importance of eye donation. VSR briefed on L&T’s eye donation campaign carried out across L&T Construction. He said “while planning for the eye donation drive, L&T’s Corporate Social Initiative team unearthed the ‘heart-rending story’ of the L&T’s unsung hero – late Sri. S. Balachander, EHS Engineer who becomes a multi organ donor in May 2010. Thanks to the compassion and graciousness of his family members – seven people got a new lease of life. Such an L&T testimonial was inspiration to drive the campaign and for so many to pledge their eyes.”

Dr. Sheila John thanked L&T for sponsoring the Topcon slit lamp and said that this would greatly facilitate community ophthalmology and offer rural patients the same kind of quality service as in hospitals. This facility would benefit over 14000 patients annually, she added.

The Elite School of Optometry is known for its real time approach to awareness creation and eradication of blindness stretching far beyond the realm of its classrooms and its significant contribution for this noble cause. In keeping with this spirit a team of early birds comprising both optometrists and optometry students from the ESO descended as early as 6:00 am in the vicinity of the Anjaneya Temple at Ashok Nagar on 24th of March, which is observed as World optometry day, much to the pleasant surprise of early morning walkers and devotees on the way to the temple. On reaching the destination they grouped themselves into several teams and began an intensive door to door campaign covering as much as 920 households in the area by afternoon, educating families on the risks of diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, preventive measures including the need for regular eye check-up. They also handed over self testing ESO pocket vision screeners, eye donation forms and information pamphlets to those screened and contacted, the occasion also saw the retina and eye pressure check-up for 115 senior citizens in the locality.

The highlight of the day was the inauguration of the Tamil Vision Chart prepared meticulously by the ESO which would help devotees to self examine their eye sight, at the Ashok Nagar Anjaneya temple by Shri TS.Subramanian who was instrumental in the establishment of the psychophysics department at the ESO with the help of the Uthrash Trust.

Senior citizens get an eyeful at camp
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The book launch of ‘Insight-A passion for compassion’ a compelling biography of Sankara Nethralaya co-authored by Shri VV.Ranganathan, Shri George Skarias and Ms Meera Prasad was held at the Walchand Hirachand Hall Mumbai on the 20th of March 2102.The city of Mumbai has a pride of place in the inception and growth of Sankara Nethralaya and it was chosen as the venue to open the eyes of the world to a great saga of courage and determination. The beyond capacity crowd gathered Hall the venue of the book launch strongly reiterated that Sankara Nethralaya has an indelible place in Mumbai’s heart.

Dr S.Bhaskaran, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya extended a warm welcome to the Chief Guest, esteemed invitees, friends and supporters who had contributed for the growth of Sankara Nethralaya gathered for the momentous occasion, the authors and everyone present at the venue, The glorious moment of the day the launch of the book by Chief Guest Shri Deepak S.Parekh, Chairman, HDFC Ltd and receiving of the same by Dr B.R Barwale, Chairman, Mahyco and Member of the Board, Medical Research Foundation was accorded a thunderous applause by the audience. Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya gave a touching account on the crucial role of great philanthropist like Shri C.U Shah from the city of Mumbai who were instrumental in the inception and growth of Sankara Nethralaya to its present stature, he expressed his view that there was no shortage for eye care centers in Mumbai but if there were well-wishers willing to support such an initiative as in Kolkata he would be happy to set up a center in Mumbai.

The book launch function provided a platform for the Chairman Emeritus and senior management members of Sankara Nethralaya to meet and interact with some of the greatest benefactors of the institution like Ms Noel Tata, Shri Neeraj Bajaj, Shri C.U Shah,Shri Homi Bhaba, Dr Bapat, Shri Nichal H.Israni and several other great people in the same venue. Shri Sugalchand Jain, Honourary Treasurer and Secretary warmly thanked the Chief Guest, the esteemed invitees and all those assembled, for their time and interest in the book and the authors for the great work in compiling the long history and making it most readable and enjoyable.