The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Awards presented for social workers, ophthalmologists

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Wednesday, Jun 03, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Awards presented for social workers, ophthalmologists

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: V. GANESAN

HONOURED: Lions Eye Hospital Tiruvarur’s chairman S.M. Miskeen presenting the Dr. G. Sitalakshmi Gift of Sight Award to medical director of eye bank and corneal consultant Bangalore West Lions Hospital Rekha Gyanchand at a function in Chennai on Monday. Lions Club of Central Madras president P.K. Chandrasekaran, district governor of Lions Club International (324 A1) K.S. Lakshmi and Sankara Nethralaya chairman Lingam Gopal and chairman emeritus S.S. Badrinath are in the picture.

CHENNAI: It is difficult to run a hospital offering treatment at subsidised cost, but it is harder to ensure that the people who need treatment seek it.

S.M. Miskeen, founder chairman, Lions Eye Hospital, Tiruvarur, who was presented with the I (Eye) Care Award on Monday at a function organised here by the Lions Club of Central Madras said this while recounting the difficulties the hospital faced.

“Until the hospital came up 15 years ago in Vandampalai in Thiruvarur, people in the region, mostly agricultural labourers, were forced to go to Chennai, Tiruchi or Madurai for treatment. The incidence of cataract was high and people were not aware that it was a reversible condition,” Mr. Miskeen recalled.

“We conduct camps in remote places but people hesitate to come for fear of losing wages,” he added.

The Lions Eye Hospital had screened 1,295 patients for diabetic retinopathy since 2006, and of the 204 diagnosed with the condition only 14 had taken treatment, he said.

Of the 65,000 cataract surgeries done so far 85 per cent were free of cost. Ophthalmologists that the hospital recruited would gain experience and set up clinics nearby. The hospital also found it difficult to get its equipment serviced as technicians had to come from bigger cities.

At the function, to mark Helen Keller Remembrance Day, ophthalmologists and social workers who had contributed to preventing/curing and rehabilitating visually impaired persons were honoured.

The Dr. G. Sitalakshmi Gift of Sight Award, instituted by Sankara Nethralaya, was given to Rekha Gyanchand, medical director of eye bank, and corneal consultant of the Bangalore West Lions Hospital, for her service.

Dr. Rekha said that the award inspired her to work more.

The Chennai Glaucoma study team of Sankara Nethralaya was honoured for its work with the I (eye) care award. Ophthalmologists Ronnie George and Veena Baskaran and their team members S.Ve. Ramesh and V. Madan Raj were presented with the Knight of the Blind awards.

K.S. Lakshmi, district governor of Lions Club International (324 A1) and S.S. Badrinath, chairman-emeritus Sankara Nethralaya, recalled the work done under the Sight First programme.

Dr. Badrinath honoured P.K. Chandrasekaran, president of Lions Club of Central Madras and S.N. Harinarayanan, chairman of Sight First, besides the club members involved in the project.

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