The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Hospital performs 16,000 free surgeries

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 08, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Hospital performs 16,000 free surgeries

Staff Reporter

Plans to take quality eye-care to a wider section

HELPING THE POOR: Sankara Eye Hospital uses sophisticated equipment to diagnose eye ailments. — Photo : A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM : Run with donations from philanthropists, corporate houses and voluntary organisations, the Sankara Eye Hospital at Shankar Nagar in Pammal has been offering free eye care to the poor, mostly from rural areas. Last yearit performed 16,000 free cataract surgeries.

The hospital plans to take quality eye care to a wider section of society. Its present premises , comprising 11 grounds, was donated by a philanthropist. It was initially called Sankara Health Centre, where all forms of ailments were attended to.

In the early 1990's, `Kannoli Project' of the Rotary International was founded by B.P.Jain, a chartered accountant. He took over the Health Centre in 1994-95 and transformed it into a full-fledged eye care centre.

The Sankara Health Centre was shifted to Anna Salai in Pammal and renamed B.P.Jain Hospital. Mr. Jain recalled that in the first year 25 patients were treated free. Over the years improvement works were carried out, including importing sophisticated equipment and construction of additional buildings.

The hospital conducts rural outreach camps, where people with cataract problems are identified for free surgeries. After counselling, they are brought to the hospital and operated upon. Surgery, hospitalisation and food are provided free, says hospital secretary S.Viswanathan.

The hospital has 16 surgeons and 105 staff members. Between Rs. 2 crore and Rs.3 crore is required annually to perform free surgeries, apart from the maintenance of equipment and other facilities, and staff salary, says Mr. Jain.

The hospital, with latest and sophisticated equipment, offers a host of services, Mr. Viswanathan said adding that charges were nominal.

The charges were low as the hospital was functioning with the sole objective of serving the society.

There were plans to start eye banks and retinal correction centres soon, he said.

R.K.Duraiswamy, president of Rotary Club of Madras Fort, said the hospital had started an endowment scheme.

As part of the scheme, on payment of Rs. 10,000 by a donor, one free eye surgery would be performed every year on the day of his choice.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu