Aravind-Madurai, 12^th May 2025

The stores department of Aravind–Madurai was successfully relocated from the OPD Building to the AMRF Building. The event was marked by a lamp lighting ceremony and the gracious presence of senior leadership members.

The relocation to the AMRF Building has provided a more spacious and efficient environment, facilitating the smooth flow of store operations. This shift is expected to streamline processes and provide a better space for both staff and users.

Aravind–Madurai, 11^th May 2025

A one-day seminar on Ophthalmology Practice Development was conducted at Aravind-Madurai in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Ophthalmic Association (TNOA). Designed to support practicing ophthalmologists, the seminar included five modules: increasing patient demand, building productive and high-performing teams, managing finances, and enhancing the quality of care.

The panel discussion at the end of the programme addressed participants’ questions. The event brought together 46 participants from 18 districts across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Aravind-Tirunelveli, 7^th May 2025

The Ettaiyapuram Vision Centre was relocated to Thiruchendur, and the inauguration was led by Dr. R Ramakrishnan, Advisor, Aravind-Tirunelveli, in the presence of Dr. R. Meenakshi, CMO, Aravind-Tirunelveli, staff members and well-wishers of AECS. Several dignitaries and local leaders graced the occasion. From Aravind-Tirunelveli, staff including, Dr. Parvathy, Incharge of Thiruchendur Vision Centre, Vikky Kumar, Manager, Mahadevan, PRO, Murugan, EMR Coordinator, Shanmuga Sundari, Clinical Manager, Vision Centres, Stella Baby, Assistant Nursing Superintendent, Stephen, VC Coordinator, Kalaiselvi, Tutor, Facility Coordination, and Sudalai Shankar, Electrician, managed the event. On the inaugural day, 54 patients underwent examinations.

Aravind-Tirunelveli, 7^th May 2025

An Outdoor Play Area for MLOP hostelers was inaugurated by Dr. R. Ramakrishnan, Saradha, and Dr. Meenakshi, in the presence of Dr. S. Padmavathy, Regional HR Director, Dr. A. Fathima, and Dr. Jaisripriya, MLOP Incharge Doctor 2.  The inaugural function was attended by Admin staff and MLOPs. The facility features various equipment to encourage physical activity, improve concentration, promote friendships, and serve as a relaxing recreational space for the MLOPs.

Aravind-Madurai, 5-10 May 2025

To facilitate an initiative of the Seva Foundation, conducting a standardised assessment of Vision Centres, a team of selected Vision Centre Managers and staff members from Aravind underwent a three-day online orientation programme. Following this, a collaborative evaluation was conducted at three Vision Centres of M.M. Joshi Eye Hospital, Hubballi, located in Kittur, Hukkeri, and Yellapur, and three Vision Centres of LV Prasad Eye Institute, located in Ballari, Uravakonda, and Rayadurg.

During the first round of assessments, Jhansi Sunitha, Project Manager, Vision Centre and Rajathi, Refractionist, Vision Centre, Gandhigram, assessed the Vision Centres under M.M. Joshi Eye Hospital, Hubballi, Karnataka, while Naveen visited the Vision Centres under LV Prasad Eye Institute, Ballari. These initial site visits focused on reviewing key operational areas such as Vision Centre profiles and service delivery, sustainability of operations, data management practices, and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The primary goal of the visits was to observe and learn from the operational methodologies of Eye hospitals, identify effective practices, and explore opportunities to replicate these best practices across other vision centres supported by the Seva Foundation.

Aravind-Salem, 5^th May 2025

Dr. B. Manohar Babu, CMO, Aravind–Salem, formally inaugurated a new Vision Centre at Thammampatti, relocated from Namagiripettai. The event was attended by several dignitaries, well-wishers, and Aravind staff members. On its first day of service, the Vision Centre recorded over 65 outpatient visits.

Aravind-Madurai, 28^th April 2025

An eye care awareness session was held at LAICO for a group of 32 participants representing various Kalanjiam groups of the DHAN Foundation. Dr. S. Lalitha Prajna, Chief Microbiologist, Aravind-Madurai, welcomed the team and appreciated the Foundation for its initiative and coordination. R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Senior Manager, Clinical Services, Aravind-Madurai, spoke about the prevalence of eye conditions in the community and the socio-economic barriers that hinder access to eye care. The event was coordinated by Murugesan, Camp Organiser.

Aravind-Madurai, 28^th April 2025

Conducted by Aravind-Madurai, the CME on fundus imaging for vision centre technicians and coordinators aimed to encompass all aspects of quality fundus image capturing techniques and how to avoid ungradable fundus images. During the programme, fundus images captured by the vision centre MLOPs were assessed by both clinicians and technicians, and further refined. Additionally, a Kahoot quiz activity was conducted, and a brief game was held to strengthen camaraderie among the MLOPs. The winners of various events were recognised with small tokens of appreciation. The CME was informative, engaging, and interactive.

Aravind-Pondicherry, 27^th April 2025

A focused workshop on advanced lamellar corneal surgeries was organised by Aravind–Pondicherry. The sessions covered Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK), Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK), and Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK).

Dr. Ashwin and Dr. Sankalp Singh Sharma, Medical Consultants, Cornea and Refractive Surgery services, Aravind–Madurai, along with Dr. Devi R, Medical Consultant, Cornea and Refractive Surgery services, Aravind–Coimbatore, contributed to the success of the event.

Aravind-Chennai, 7^th April 2025

The MSICS Fundamental VR Simulator, donated by Orbis International, was officially launched at the ARCORE Training Centre, Chennai. Natalia Ronatowicz from the Fundamental VR team conducted an orientation session for postgraduates, fellows, and IOL Medical Consultants, followed by hands-on training with the simulator.

Aravind–Tirunelveli, 22^nd April 2025

A workshop on firefighting was organised for the staff of Aravind–Tirunelveli in two batches. The first batch attended both theory and practical sessions in the morning, while the second batch attended in the afternoon. Training covered basic firefighting techniques. Different types of fire extinguishers and their uses were discussed. A live firefighting demonstration and a mock evacuation drill were also conducted.

Sivagangai, 22^nd April 2025

Saravanan, Manager, Eye Bank, Aravind–Madurai, conducted a session on eye donation, the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme, and the role of healthcare professionals in eye donation at the Primary Health Centre, Thiruvegampathur, Sivagangai. The session was attended by 50 participants, including doctors and Village Health Nurses (VHNs).

Aravind-Thanjavur, 20^th April 2025

The inauguration of the Aravind’s state-of-the-art hospital at Thanjavur, was presided over by Shri P.R. Venketrama Raja, Chairman, Ramco Group, as the chief guest, and Shri Babaji Rajah Bhonsle, Hereditary Trustee, Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam. Leadership members from Aravind, including Dr. P. Namperumalsamy, President, GOVEL Trust, Dr. G. Natchiar, Director Emeritus, AECS, Dr. R.D. Ravindran, Chairman, AECS, R.D. Thulsi Raj, Executive Director Emeritus, LAICO, Dr. Aravind Srinivasan, Project Director, AECS, Dr. N. Venkatesh Prajna, Director of Finance, AECS, Dr. R. Kim, Director of IT, AECS, and Dr. Karthik Srinivasan, CMO, Aravind-Thanjavur were present at the occassion.

Spanning 300,000 sq. ft., this new facility, serves a population of 7.2 million in Thanjavur and surrounding districts. It offers both free and paid services across all ophthalmic subspecialties, with the capacity to handle 1,700–2,000 outpatients daily and perform 250-300 surgeries per day.

The hospital’s infrastructure includes 14 modern operating theatres, laboratories equipped with advanced medical instruments, separate wings for paying and free patients, suite rooms, postgraduate and MLOP hostels, staff quarters, and parking facilities.

Aravind-Madurai, 17^th April 2025

To commemorate 22 years of vision centre services, and to raise awareness about the services offered at Vision Centres, Aravind–Madurai organised a Vision Centre Exhibition, encouraging patients to consult locally and reduce unnecessary travel.

With the aim of delivering primary eye care to rural populations, Dr. G. Venkataswamy, and Dr. P. Namperumalsamy launched the first Telemedicine-enabled Vision Centre in Ambasamudram on 17th April 2004. Today, there are 117 Vision Centres, each staffed by a technician and a coordinator.

The exhibition featured a small Vision Centre setup, along with the awareness posters typically displayed in Vision Centres, to showcase how activities are carried out. Posters and banners detailing the services offered, Vision Centre locations with contact numbers, a photo of Dr. V inaugurating the first centre, and other educational materials were also displayed. Aurolab staff provided supported this event with instruments while the technician from the Vaddipatti Vision Centre explained the operations. Many visitors including patients, senior Aravind members, MLOPs, and admin staff, attended the exhibit. Notably, the staff adhered to a dress code of blue, reflecting the Vision Centre logo and upholding its tradition.

Aravind-Tirunelveli, 23^rd March 2025

Aravind–Tirunelveli hosted NellaiCON 2025 in collaboration with AIOS ARC, TNOA ARC, and the Tirunelveli Ophthalmic Association. The event, themed “Insight on Phaco Eye Infection,” brought together some of the finest minds in ophthalmology for a morning of enriching academic discussions and knowledge exchange.

The CME featured three insightful sessions namely, SICS Simplified: Key Steps & Expert Insights, Phaco Revolution: From Cataract Removal to Refractive Excellence, and Surgical Infections: Prevention, Diagnosis and Management.

Renowned faculty including Dr. Santosh Honavar, Dr. Arulmozhi Varman, Dr. Prashant Bawankule, Dr. Srinivas Joshi, and many others shared their expertise through case-based presentations and panel discussions. The event saw enthusiastic participation from ophthalmologists across the region, fostering academic collaboration and clinical learning. The programme was well-received for its practical focus, interactive format, and high-quality scientific content. A total of 102 participants, including ophthalmologists, fellows, and postgraduates, attended the conference.