PM Modi inaugurates state-of-the-art R Jhunjhunwala Sankara Eye Hospital in Varanasi

New Delhi: In pursuit of providing world-class eye care treatment to all people, Sankara Eye Hospital, one of India’s leading eye care service providers in the country with the support of the prominent investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Family and Sankara Eye Foundation, USA launched the R Jhunjhunwala Sankara Super Specialty Eye Hospital in Varanasi.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi inaugurated the hospital in the presence of Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Jagadguru Sri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, 70th Jagadguru Peethadipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.

S V Balasubramaiam Chairman, SEFI, Padma Shri Dr. R. V. Ramani, Founder and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Foundation India, Mr. Murali Krishnamurthy, Executive Chairman Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, Rekha Jhunjhunwala, a member of the Board of Trustees participated.

The Varanasi hospital is Sankara’s 14th in the country and will undertake 30,000 free eye surgeries every year for the poorest patients. The establishment of the hospital assumes significance as the legendary Southern India (Tamil Nadu)-based Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust, which supports Sankara Eye Hospital, infuses itself into the highly revered, historical-cultural city of Varanasi.

This world class eye care facility, which has been set an investment of around Rs 110 crore, has capacity to perform 30 k surgeries, 9 operation theatres among many other facilities. To ensure the viability of its operations as well as help the poorest in eye care and treatment, the hospital will function on a cross-subsidization model (75:25 model) wherein the income from paying patients (25% of our beneficiaries will subsidize the costs of free surgeries of 75% of the beneficiaries) for those in need.

Murali Krishnamurthy, Executive Chairman, Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, said: “Sankara has set up a large eye hospital in Varanasi at a time when eye care costs are high. The hospital’s approach will enable more people in Varanasi and surrounding cities and villages from UP and other neighboring, states to avail high quality care. We will continue to extend all necessary assistance to realize Sankara’s vision of reaching out to the most deserving people in need of eye care.”

Dr R.V. Ramani, Founder and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Foundation, said, “India is home to the world’s largest population of blind people and more than 80% of these are avoidable blindness cases. Sankara Eye Hospital was founded to provide quality eye care to all. Our goal is to touch 5 lakh free surgeries, pan-India, annually by 2030. Like all our hospitals across the country, this hospital too will function on the unique economic hybrid model that will provide subsidized services to the poor across 8 districts of U.P. including Varanasi well as adjoining villages in neighboring states by drawing on resources of people who can afford eye treatment.”

Dr S V Balasubramaniam Chairman SEFI, said: “The Foundation’s vision is to reach eye care to as many people as possible. We are looking at different regions up North as there are villages as well as cities which are in need of eye care infrastructure. While the major metros are well provided for, the peripheries require assistance and facilities. And we have a national mission. This is where Sankara Eye Foundation is making a difference in reaching eye care to people across the country.”

Rekha Jhunjhunwala, Board of Trustees of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust said: “Sankara Eye Foundation under the leadership of Dr. R. V. Ramani has been successful in reaching out to all people, particularly the economically weak in the country, and helping them receive the gift of sight. The hospital at Varanasi is yet another step in aiding people in different regions of North India. Our mission matches with Sankara’s and hence this collaboration is ideal as it ensures hi-tech eye care.”

The hospital has hi-tech and modern multiple specialties and will treat patients with multiple eye problems relating to Cataract, Cornea, Retina, Glaucoma, Paediatric Ophthalmology, Oculoplasty, Eye Bank and Corneal transplantation, Clinical and Micro Biological Laboratory, Pharmacy and Optical.

Sankara Eye Hospital has planned major initiatives for UP – that include Gift of Vision – Free Eye Care Services that include Rural Outreach Eye Screening, Transportation of the Patients to the Base Hospital and back, Accommodation, Investigations, Surgery with IOL, food, Medicines and follow-up after one month – all free of cost for the poor; Rainbow – a Preventive Eye Care Program for school children; Netra Yagna, a program for all the schools in Varanasi District. The hospital will in a phased manner extend services to the districts of Ghazipur, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, S R Nagar, Prayagraj in UP and later to the States of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

Across India, over 6.7 million patients have been screened and over 2.6 million eye surgeries have been performed so far by Sankara. The hospital has seen many flagship programs like Gift of Vision, Maitiri, Technology Initiatives and Rainbow among others. Sankara Eye Hospital is among the largest and fastest growing social enterprise managing super specialty eye care hospitals in the country located across multiple states that include Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The Hospital is dedicated to revolutionizing the landscape of eye care by tackling concerns of accessibility and affordability. As the global burden of cataract-induced blindness continues to rise, Sankara is steadfast in its mission to eradicate needless vision impairment.