Sankara Nethralaya

Education & Training

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"Eye care in the country had grown by leaps and bounds. Now, the best ophthalmic care in the world was available in India. In fact, Chennai, more than any other city in India, earned a place of distinction in medical care on the world map"

- Mr. P. Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister, Government of India

Sankara Nethralaya (Medical and Vision Research Foundations) have been blessed by the support of friends and well-wishers. Once while talking to his disciples, the Great Master Adi Sankara had this question to ask: "What is precious?" The answer he gave: "That which is given at the right time".

The Physical, Moral and Financial support that the Great Master spoke of is required NOW by Sankara Nethralaya to great heights. And through Sankara Nethralaya, India and Ophthalmic Research in India will be carried to great heights.

Sankara Nethralaya

Medical Research Foundation, Chennai, India was founded in 1978 as a charitable, not-for-profit institution. Sankara Nethralaya is a Unit of Medical Research Foundation. Sankara Nethralaya is a one-stop referral ophthalmic institution with leadership in quality. It is also the first eye hospital in Asia to get ISO certification for quality in 1997. Over the last 27 years, over one million patients have been treated from all over India and countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia. Nearly 275,000 surgeries have been performed. About one third of the surgeries have been done free of charge to the poor.

Sankara Nethralaya is a recognized academic institution, conducting Graduate, Postgraduate, Research, Fellowship and Continuing Medical Education Programs. It also publishes books to share scientific practice in eye care. One third of all Opthalmic Research Publications from India come from Sankara Nethralaya. Major, multi-year epidemiological research projects in Glaucoma and Diabetic Retinopathy are currently being carried out by Sankara Nethralaya. Sankara Nethralaya also has collaborations with academic and research institutions around the world.

Sankara Nethralaya has the following departments and sub-specialties:

• Ophthalmology: Cornea, Oculoplasty, Retina, Glaucoma, Uvea, Pediatrics, Squint, Refractive Surgery, Neuro-ophthalmology, Cataract and Community Ophthalmology, Ultrasonography, Electrodiagnostics and Angiography.
• Optometry: Contact Lens, Low Vision Aids, Orthoptics, Perimetry, Electro diagnostics, OCT / HRT, Special Clinic for Computer Users, Corporate Vision Examination Program, Ocular Prosthesis

While the eye care service delivery accessible to all sections of the society is the area of focus of Sankara Nethralaya, the back-up for eye-care delivery comes from the constant innovative development undertaken by yet another arm of the group "Vision Research Foundation".