The prestigious Padma Shri Award bestowed upon Dr. G. Natchiar, a founding member of the Aravind Eye Care System, has sparked a wave of immense joy, resonating not only with the dedicated staff across Aravind’s 135 centres, but also with the countless patients whose lives have been transformed by her exceptional care. This marks the third time an Aravind member receiving the Padma Shri, following Dr. V, and Dr. PN, a symbol of trust and affection the community has placed in the organisation. It signifies not just Aravind’s physical expansion across the country, but a deeper, intangible growth, securing a place in the hearts of people. Dr. Natchiar’s award ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9th May 2024, receiving the honour from the Honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu, stands as a validation that Aravind remains committed in upholding the visionary legacy of its founding father, Dr. V.

Aravind’s involvement extends far beyond clinical excellence. It actively partners with governments and non-profit organisations to conduct eye care initiatives, including campaigns and surveys. A recent example is the RAAB7 prevalence survey, conducted in the Sivaganga district. For the first time, the upgraded RAAB7 tool was being tested among the Indian population, particularly in Tamil Nadu. As of today, there is no near vision screening tool/method available for community screening. Hence, the near-vision validation study has been combined with the current RAAB7. The results showed a comparable level of agreement with the near vision tool of the Peek Acuity App against the gold standard EDTRS near vision screening. Eventually, the near-vision screening module was incorporated into the current RAAB7. This is a significant milestone in generating evidence relating to the near vision burden globally for effective planning of service delivery.

News about these and much more occurred between 15^th April and 15^th May are featured in this edition.

Delhi, 9th May 2024

Dr. G. Natchiar, Director Emeritus, Aravind Eye Care System received the prestigious Padma Shri Award from the honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at the second Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi

New Delhi, 10th May 2024

Dr. B. Harinikrishna, Medical Consultant, Aravind-Kovilpatti, and Dr. A. Saranya, Paediatric Medical Consultant, Aravind-Salem were awarded with the Dr. G. Venkataswamy Gold Medal in ophthalmology for achieving the highest marks in the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) in Ophthalmology, conducted by the National Board of Examinations in medical sciences.

They were presented with the award by the honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at a special ceremony held in New Delhi.

Thiruvananthapuram, 5th May

Dr. S.R. Rathinam, Chief, Uvea Services, Aravind – Madurai, was honoured with the Dr. KGR Nair Oration Award at the annual conference of Trivandrum Ophthalmic club, Reflection 2024, held at Hotel Residency Towers, Thiruvananthapuram, under the aegis of the Kerala Society of Ophthalmic Surgeons (KSOS).

Abu Dhabi, 18-20 April

Dr. R. Sharmila, Medical Consultant, Glaucoma Service, Aravind-Madurai, won the best video award at the  International Congress held at Hilton Hotel, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, for her video titled, When things go bleak, there is always a silver lining: Quadruple procedure in microspherophakia.

Aravind Community Eye Clinic, Sankarankovil, 12th May

G.G. Sangeetha, MLOP- OP, Aravind Community Eye Clinic, Sankarankovil was honoured with the Best Nurse Award by Red Cross Society on the occasion of International Nurses Day.

Aravind-Madurai, March-April 2024

The survey conducted by Aravind-Madurai in Sivaganga district focused on the prevalence of cataracts, refractive errors, and service uptake. The main objectives were to test the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB7) method in the Indian population, specifically in Tamil Nadu, and to validate the feasibility of incorporating near-vision screening into RAAB7. Developed at the International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH), London, UK, the RAAB is a rapid survey methodology designed to assess blindness and visual impairment in people aged 50 and above. The new component of the current RAAB7 included near-vision screening and an assessment of enablers and barriers to the use of near-vision eyeglasses. RAAB7 employs digital data collection along with the use of an integrated Peek Acuity Mobile Application for visual acuity measure.

Prior to starting the survey, a three-day training programme was provided to the survey team by Dr. Sandeep Buttan, a certified RAAB Trainer from Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi. During the programme, Dr. Chandrakumar, Project Director, Tamil Nadu State Blindness Control Society, delivered a keynote address and shared insights on conducting the RAAB6 survey.

During the survey, the team examined 3,582 people aged 50 years and above from 77 different locations. The findings suggest that one-fourth of the surveyed population required some form of eye care and were referred to eye care facilities. If proven, the near vision screening could be integrated into the existing RAAB method, thereby enhancing its benefits for a broader global population.

Aravind-Madurai, 25th April

Organised by Aravind-Madurai, the CME focused on the basics of Genetics in Ophthalmology, specifically on Glaucoma, Retinoblastoma, and Pediatric Eye diseases. Additionally, there were discussions on emerging potential applications of genetic research in glaucoma, with special emphasis on gene therapy and genetic counselling for eye diseases. The panel of external faculty members, including Dr. Arif O. Khan, Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi, and Dr. A.S. Karthikeyan, Dennis Lam Eye Hospital, China, along with faculty from LV Prasad Eye Institute, Narayana Nethralaya, and AIIMS, Delhi, actively participated in the discussions. The CME was awarded 2 credit hours by the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC). A total of 74 delegates, including 15 faculty members, 34 research scholars, and 25 doctors, attended this programme

Aravind-Madurai, 26-28 April

The CME aimed to explore newer horizons in the management of glaucoma, highlighting the continuing relevance of Trabeculectomy and its complications with management, Glaucoma Drainage Devices (GDD) and their surgical techniques and complications with management, and the potential role of minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS), and non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS). Delegates from all over India, representing various institutions, attended the CME and provided valuable inputs. The programme was authorised for 3 credit hours by TNMC. A total of 137 delegates, including 40 faculty members, attended this programme. Additionally, wet lab training practices were conducted on Trabeculectomy, GDD, NPDS, and MIGS for the registered candidates and all internal Glaucoma consultants. They also earned an additional 3 credit hours from TNMC for the wet lab session.

Aravind-Pondicherry, 21 April

Aravind-Pondicherry organised the Symposium, a first of its kind with the aim of delving deep into the psyche of GenZ. It explored how GenZ differ and what new strategies can be incorporated to engage them in learning. The session started with a welcome address by Dr. R. Venkatesh, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Pondicherry. The programme featured insightful sessions by Dr. Naveen Radhakrishnan, Dr. Annapurna Kumar, Dr. Pranesh Balasubramaniam, Prof. N. Ananthakrishnan, Dr. Sudha, Dr. Deepak Megur, Dr. Pavan Kumar, Dr. Mahalakshmi, and Dr. Prasanna Venkatesh. The session concluded with a few skill transfer courses on surgical video editing, effective PowerPoint presentations, and how to use social media for the advantage.

Maharashtra, 12-18 May

As part of LEAP- Closing the Loop Collaborative series, Dr. G. Anitha, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind Eye Hospital, Tuticorin, and Mohammed Gowth, Senior Faculty, LAICO, made a Gap assessment visit to Nandadeep Eye Hospital, Sangli, and its branch hospital at Kolapur, Maharashtra between12th and 16^th May. Similarly, Dr. B. Harinikrishna, Medical Consultant, Aravind-Kovilpatti, and Udayakumar, Senior Faculty, LAICO, visited M.N. Eye Hospital, Chennai, between 16^th and18th May. The main objective of these visits were to gain a deep understanding of the hospital’s activities and identify potential focus areas for improvement on enhancing the acceptance rate for cataract surgery and spectacles. During the visit, they have identified and discussed the key areas of improvement and facilitated the hospital’s team for action plan to achieve completing the service loop.

LAICO, 4^th April – 2^nd May

The one-month course held at LAICO aimed to equip hospital administrators with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage an eye hospital, both in its day-to-day operations and in developing the hospital according to the needs of the community it serves. Seven participants from Lusaka Eye Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia, Africa Eye Foundation, Magrabi – ICO Cameroon Eye Institute, Yaounde, Cameroon, Nepal Eye Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, Arasan Eye Hospital, Erode, Tamil Nadu, Nayana Eye Care, Andhra Pradesh, NBJK – Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra, Hazaribag, Jharkhand, and Mahanadi Netra Chikitsalaya- LEPRA Society, Odisha, attended the course.

Washington, 5-9 May

Scientists and Research Students from Aravind Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) including Prof. K. Dharmalingam, Director, Research, AMRF, Scientists Dr. P. Sundaresan, and Dr. C. Gowri Priya Chidambaranathan, and research students R. Sethu Nagarajan, and Shreya Dinesh, attended and presented papers and posters at the annual meeting held in Seattle, Washington. Sethu Nagarajan and Shreya Dinesh received the ICMR Travel Grant, and the SERB Travel Grant, respectively. Additionally, Shreya Dinesh’s poster was selected as a Hot Topic during one of a session.

Paper Presentation

Sethu Nagarajan, Dr. Gowri Priya Chidambaranathan, Dr. R. Kim, Dr. Usha Kim, Prof. K. Dharmalingam, and Dr. A. Vanniarajan

• Inhibition of KIF14 supresses the retinoblastoma tumor progression with favourable outcome. 

Poster Presentations

Dr. P. Sundaresan, Prakash Chermakani, Shanmugam Maheshkumar

• Unravelling Nuclear and Mitochondrial Contributions in Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy 

Dr. Gowri Priya Chidambaranathan, Sneha Nair, Dr. R. Krishnadas, Dr. V. Muthukkaruppan, Dr. A. Vanniarajan, Dr. D. Bharanidharan

• MicroRNAs regulating human trabecular meshwork stem cells 

Shreya Dinesh, Prof. K. Dharmalingam, Dr. Lalitha Prajna, Dr. N.V. Prajna, Dr. D. Bharanidharan

• Dysregulated miRNAs and their role in Fusarium Keratitis

Nepal, 8-10 April

Dr. Anu Paul, IOL Fellow, Aravind-Madurai was a resource person for the workshops held at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, and Nepal Eye Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, to train the hospitals’ staff in Aubtenon Anesthesia.

Abu Dhabi, 18-20 April

Dr. R. Sharmila participated in the Congress held at Hilton Hotel, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and presented a video titled, Sailing through shallow seas: Managing post op hypotony following tube surgery. She further delivered a talk at the conference on Nanophthalmos (Bad eyes).