Sankara Nethralaya has been awarded the ‘Social Enterprise of the Year’ at the 5th CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards. Dr. SS Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya, accepted the award on behalf of the institute at a function held in New Delhi on December 3, 2009.

The award is presented to an NGO/CSR initiative that has shown uniqueness in the kind of outreach program it has adopted or in adapting a commercial business model for the purpose of social good & community welfare or in the sheer impact its work has had.

Present on the occasion were Honourable Minister for Human Resource Development, Kapil Sibal; Minister of State-Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, and Head, Unique Identification Database project Nandan Nilekani,.

The winners were judged by eminent personalities like Mr. Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC, Mr. Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries Ltd. Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, Mr. Uday Kotak, and Mr. Raghav Bahl, Founder Editor, Network18.

Continuing with the Nethralaya philosophy of community service, Sankara Nethralaya, Rameswaram began offering free services to indigent patients from December 1, 2009.

Rededicating the services, at a function on December 7, 2009 at Rameswaram, Mr. TN Hariharan, District Collector, Ramanathapuram, assured all help to Sankara Nethralaya in creating more awareness about ophthalmic care in Rameswaram and surrounding areas.

Welcoming Sankara Nethralaya’s initiative in providing free services at its Rameswaram branch, Ms. Girija Vaidyanathan, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, urged for such quality and affordable ophthalmic services to be spread across the district.

Residents attending the camp will undergo a comprehensive eye examination. Those who are prescribed glasses will be provided with one at the campsite. Patients who are recommended for cataract surgery will be taken by the Sankara Nethralaya team to the the main hospital at Rameswaram where a free-of-cost cataract surgery, using intraocular lens, will be performed on them. The boarding, transport and food for patients will be borne by Sankara Nethralaya, Rameswaram.

The Seonee hills came alive at the Georgetown Center Auditorium, Austin, Texas, US, as Mowgli and his friends from the animal kingdom recounted one of the most loved tales of the century in a brilliantly-choreographed dance drama by the Natyalaya School of Dance on December 20, 2009.

Children were at their artistic best, as they took the audience in an enchanting journey of Rudyard Kipling’s famed ‘Jungle Book.’
The performance, a benefit concert for Sankara Nethralaya, was attended by around 300 people. The remarkable efforts by Ms. Vinitha Subramanian & the 24 children from the Natyalaya School of Dance were showcased in every act.

For their incredible enthusiasm in participating in the benefit concert and supporting Nethralaya’s cause, the children were presented with plaques of honor by Sankara Nethralaya and Sankara Nethralaya Ophthalmic Mission Trust.

As part of the ongoing support provided by Sankara Nethralaya to the Ophthalmology department at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi, Dr. RR Sudhir, senior consultant, Sankara Nethralaya, visited the institute from December 21 to December 26, 2009.

A series of lectures on cornea were held during the period and Dr. Sudhir had the opportunity to have effective interactive sessions with both students and faculty. During his sessions with post graduate students, Dr. Sudhir demonstrated to students how to diagnose, pick and manage the findings of corneal cases.

Dr. Sudhir was also fortunate to have the darshan of Bhagwan Shri Sathya Sai Baba from close quarters and prayed for the entire Nethralaya family.

Owing to public demand, Navasuja Sankara Nethralaya conducted a screening and counselling for senior citizens (above 60 years) on December 27, 2009. Around 100 people were screened and counseled and 74 people were referred to undergo further medical examination.

All those who came were tested for distance & near vision. Apart from checking the eye pressure, a slit lamp examination was also conducted. People were made aware of their eye conditions and were given eye care tips.

Navasuja Sankara Nethralaya had earlier screened and counseled 137 persons on September 20, 2009. The screening and counselling was undertaken to commemorate World Elders’ Day (October 1).

A literary programme to recognize and honour Dr. Vidya Vencatesan, well-wisher of Sankara Nethralaya, was held at Sankara Nethralaya on December 28, 2009. Dr. Vidya Vencatesan was recently awarded the Le Chevalier des Palmes Académiques and the Le Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France for her contributions to the field of education and to the world of culture, both French and Indian, respectively.

Literarian and Padma Bhushan awardee Shri. Jayakanthan and noted journalist Smt. Sivashankari who graced the occasion spoke on “Aanmigamum Navinathuvamum”.

Describing the felicitation as a “blessing,” Dr. Vidya Vencatesan shared with the gathering her experiences in understanding the similarities between the ancient Indian culture and the rich French culture.

Following its renovation, the Sri. Nathella Sampathu Chetty Clinical Laboratory was rededicated by Smt. Sulochana Amma, wife of (late) Sri. Nathella Sampathu Chetty Garu, on December 31, 2009 at Sankara Nethralaya.

Smt. Sulochana Amma lighted the traditional lamp following which she and her family were shown around the refurbished clinical laboratory facility. A detailed document listing the activities and achievements of the clinical laboratory was presented to the Smt. Sulochana Amma and her family, who donated Rs. 1 lakh to SWAN (Sankara Nethralaya Women Auxiliary) on the occasion.