In the midst of cold weather and heavy rain, Aravind Eye Hospital persists in carrying out its routine clinical activities, dedicated to serving the community, fostering the professional growth of its employees, and contributing to its overall progress.

With a focus on continuous professional education (CPE) programmes for staff members, several events were held across Aravind Hospitals. This included the CPE for Coordinators, Technicians, Supervisors, and Tutors of Aravind-Pondicherry, CPE for Photographers and Editors of Aravind Communication Department, and the showcasing of exceptional talents of staff through Utsav 2023 by Aurolab.

Aravind has consistently worked to cultivate an innovative culture in recent years. Hackathon 5.0 stood as the pinnacle of innovation within Aravind Eye Hospitals. Collaborative teams, comprising medical expertise from doctors and cutting-edge engineering minds from VIT and IIT Tirupati, addressed identified problem statements, transforming ideas into reality.

The active engagement of Aravind’s postgraduate residents in social responsibility initiatives contributed to the betterment of underprivileged communities. Notably, the programme “Vaanavil” serves as a platform for selling handmade products created by visually rehabilitated women in Trichy.

These stories, along with many more, are featured in this issue.

Note: The events that happened between 15th December and 15th January are featured here.

Chennai, 16-17 December

Dr. Usha Kim, Chief, Orbit and Oculoplasty, Aravind-Madurai won a runner’s trophy at the Trauma – Ophthalmic premier league (OPL) at the annual conference of Ocular Trauma Society of India (OTSI) held in Mahabalipuram, Chennai.

Maharashtra, 6-7, January

Dr. Usha Kim was conferred with the Late Dr. Neelima Pawade Lifetime Achievement Award at the 48th annual conference of the Vidarbha Ophthalmic Society, “Eyespire 2024,” held in Maharashtra. She delivered an engaging oration titled A journey beyond vision.

Aravind-Madurai, 7^th January

A Continuing medical education (CME) programme was organised for staff from 37 Vision Centres operated under Aravind-Madurai. The sessions, guided by Dr. Usha Kim, Regional HR Director, covered topics such as clinical updates, improving adherence to clinical protocols, reorientation to fundus imaging, cataract follow-up at vision centres, optical and innovative anterior segment imaging, and self-motivation. The organisers included Dr. Kowsalya, Medical Consultant, Neuro-ophthalmology Services, G. Jhansi Sunitha, Vision Centre Manager, and Pitchaimeena, Clinical Manager, Vision Centre. Dr. Kowsalya, and Mohammed Gowth, Senior Faculty, LAICO, coordinated the entire programme, attended by 74 Vision Centre staff members.

Aravind-Pondicherry, 6-7 January

Aravind-Pondicherry organised a CPE programme with the aim of educating clinical staff about patient care, quality, and safety at work, incorporating various team-building exercises. Sessions covered topics such as the Art of communication, Aravind ways, and The seven habits of highly effective people, facilitated by senior faculty and staff members from the HR and Housekeeping departments. A total of 50 participants benefited from this CPE.

Aravind-Pondicherry/Chennai, 5-6 January

The Insurance Meet spanned two days between 5th and 6th January at two locations. The first day in Pondicherry included sessions on patient care, professional behaviour, communication, teamwork, staff coordination, planning, decision-making, and resource utilisation, conducted by internal faculty members.

The second day in Aravind-Chennai featured talks by industry experts from VIDAL TPA, Medi Assist TPA, Star Health Insurance (presented online through Zoom), and Claim Book. Discussions covered PreAuth & Claims, requirements, document submission for settlement, and more. A total of 35 attendees, including Senior Managers, Managers, Coordinators, Admin Assistants, and MRD staff from 14 branches, participated.

Aravind-Coimbatore, 4-5 January

The Medical Record Department of Aravind-Coimbatore organised the CME for the medical record department staff, aiming to highlight the significance of patient safety. The CME featured various sessions handled by speakers, including Gautham Kumar, Manager, Quality Assurance, elaborating on Incidents, near misses, and sentinel events; Umapriya, HR Manager, discussing Communication: Tips for success; Hemalatha, Patient Care Manager, addressing How to improve and document near misses and incident reporting; and Rajakumari, Counselling Coordinator, explaining Professional etiquette and why interdepartmental relationships are important. These sessions guided the participants in creating a professional climate in their working environment. A total of 35 staff members participated in the programme.

8^th January

The annual Aravind garden festival, featuring an inter-hospital event involving all Aravind centres, was held this year with the theme of indoor plants. Aravind staff from each centre showcased creative displays based on the theme, which were judged, and the best one at each centre received an award. This festival served as a platform to promote environmental sustainability and raise awareness among staff, patients, and the public.

Aravind-Pondicherry, 5-7 January

Aravind Centre for Eyecare Innovation (ACEi) organised its 5th annual Hackathon at Aravind-Pondicherry. Dr. Arulmozhivarman, Dean of Academic Research, VIT, Vellore; Dr. Bharathiraja, Head, Centre of Electric Mobility, SRM, Chennai; Sandal Kotawala, Founder & CEO of Alfaleus, Hyderabad; and Dr. Prabu Baskaran, Retina Consultant, Aravind-Chennai, were invited as judges. A total of 128 problem statements were collected, with 32 of them being chosen for the Hackathon. Around 80 Aravind staff, including doctors, managers, technicians, and MLOPs, as well as 43 students from VIT, Chennai, and Vellore, and IIT Tirupati, took part and collaborated to find solutions. The top five innovations were awarded. Engineers from Aurolab, Remidio, and Alfaleus provided on-site technical support for the event. Aurolab sponsored the entire event as well as the prize money.

Aravind-Coimbatore, 5^th January

Aravind-Coimbatore organised a motivation session for MLOPs, with the focus on how to be successful in life. Dr. Jeyantha Sree Balakirshnan, a retired English professor and eminent motivational speaker, delivered a talk on Theethum nandrum pirar thara vaaraa, inspiring the participants.

Aravind-Tirunelveli, 4-5 January

Hosted by Aravind-Tirunelveli, the meeting was attended by camp medical officers, camp managers, camp organisers, and admin assistants from all Aravind centres. The team discussed the previous year’s outreach performance and planned new activities for the year 2024. Further, there were discussions on specialty eye care services through outreach, and Not-operated patients.

Additionally, a session was arranged as part of the Camp Meeting on Work life balance, handled by R. Ganesh, Founder, LIME, Chennai.

Aravind-Madurai, 1^st January

As part of the annual Resident Social Responsibility (RSR) initiative, postgraduates from Aravind-Madurai supported visually rehabilitated women from Trichy through the Vaanavil programme. A platform was established to sell their handmade products, including colourful and attractively printed bags, pouches, jewellery pouches, candlesticks, incense sticks, towels, pillow and cushion covers, wire baskets, and bed sheets, to celebrate their dignity.

The event was led by Dr. Venkatesh Prajna, Director, Academics & Finance, and supported by Kalyani, Resident Coordinator, and other staff members.

Aravind-Pondicherry, 11^th January

Continuing the tradition, Aravind-Pondicherry organised Angaadi, a unique charity event involving all the employees. This year, the event featured a food festival and a fun shopping experience exclusively for hospital employees, with all proceeds donated to non-profit organisations.

Pongal festival was joyously celebrated at various Aravind centres, including those in Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Pondicherry, Chennai, and Tirupati, with staff members wholeheartedly participating in traditional festivities. Each centre organised a series of traditional events as a tribute to Mother Nature. Festivities including uriyadi, folk dance performances, rangoli competitions, and pooja were held. Notably, in Aravind-Tirupati, this festival, known as Sankranti, was celebrated in the same manner.

Aravind-Tirunelveli, 1^st January

As a part of employee welfare activities, a workshop on Soft skills for transformation was organised by Aravind-Tirunelveli for the MLOPs. Lakshmi R, Manager, HR department, welcomed the gathering. Gokul, Sales Consultant, Zeiss India, is a softskills trainer who conducted sessions in two batches. The sessions included lectures and game activities that helped MLOPs better understand the concepts.

Aravind-Coimbatore, 28^th December

Aravind-Coimbatore organised a quiz programme for OT MLOPs, staff nurses, and trainees, aiming to emphasise the importance of OT and CSSD protocols. Dr. D. Chandrasekhar, Consultant & NABH Coordinator, conducted the quiz with participants divided into seven groups, each comprising nine members. The event provided a valuable learning experience in an enjoyable and competitive manner.

Aravind-Madurai, 22^nd December

In an ongoing commitment to train MLOPs and raise awareness about the importance of spectacles among the public and staff, the optical and pharmacy departments collaborated to organise a one-day exhibition. The event was inaugurated by Dr. R.D. Ravindran, Chairman, Aravind Eye Care System (AECS). The exhibition drew patients and staff, who appreciated the team’s efforts. It featured 25 posters and six models, and similar exhibitions were planned to be conducted annually across all Aravind centres.

Aravind-Madurai, 22-23 December

Aravind Communications recently conducted its 7th Continuous Professional Education programme for the DTP staff across Aravind centres, including designers, photographers and videographers. The two-day programme, featuring a diverse range of sessions, saw the active participation of 28 staff members. Resource persons, including M. Abdul Aziz Hakkim, Assistant Professor, School of Animation & Media Studies, SLCS, Madurai; G. Ramanan, Artist,  Madurai; Chokkan, Principal Technical Program Manager, Intuit, Bengaluru; and Hameed Fayaz K, Head of Creative & Brand Solutions at Divo, Chennai, handled various sessions.

The comprehensive programme covered both online and offline sessions, addressing key topics such as Learning infographics for simplified visual representation of complex subjects, Introduction to digital drawing, Mid-career realities focusing on opportunities, threats, and professional mastery, Strategies for expanding reach through Youtube videos, and colour correction in photography.

A special highlight of the event was an interactive session with Mike Myers, Aravind Volunteer and Photography Consultant, who shared insights about photographic techniques. The programme also included visits to the Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai, the Keeladi Museum, and an outdoor photographic activity – Bird watching at Maadakulam, enhancing the overall experience for photographers and the team.

Aravind-Tirupati, 17^th December

Sponsors Day was organised by Aravind-Tirupati for the first time since its opening. The event, attended by 98 sponsors and volunteers, was graced by the esteemed presence of the Chief Guest, Sri Mangal Chand Tater, Managing Trustee, Shohan Kanwarlal Tater Charitable Trust, Chennai, and the Guest of Honour, N.S. Ravi, Retired Additional Registrar of Co-op Societies, Government of Andhra Pradesh (Integrated).

The programme commenced with a prayer song, followed by ceremonial lamp lighting. V. Vasudeva Reddy, Camp Manager, extended a warm welcome to the attendees. N.S. Ravi delivered a talk emphasising the vision and mission of Padmashree Dr. G. Venkataswamy.

Dr. Sreenath, Medical Consultant, Glaucoma Services, Aravind-Tirupati, presented the annual report. Dr. G. Natchiar, Director Emeritus, AECS, expressed her joy in meeting all the sponsors. Dr. R. Venkatesh, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Pondicherry, delivered a talk on various eye-related issues. Dr. Umakanth, Medical Consultant, IOL & Cataract Services, Aravind-Tirupati, engaged the audience in an interactive session.

Dr. S. Ashok Vardhan, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Tirupati, and Dr. Sreenath, Medical Consultant, Glaucoma Services, Aravind-Tirupati presented certificates of appreciation to sponsors as a token of recognition for their noble contributions. Followed by, there was an experience sharing by a few sponsors. Additionally, the event featured a cultural performance by MLOPs. The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks by Gowri Shankar, Camp Organiser, followed by a special lunch for all the sponsors.

Aravind–Tirupati, 16^th December

The 5th Hospital Day programme, organised by SV Aravind-Tirupati, featured various events. The programme began with a welcome address by K. Kesava Kumar, Manager, Administration & Finance. The chief guest, Dr. A. Raghuramaraju, Professor of Philosophy, IIT Tirupati, delivered a talk and Dr. S. Ashok Vardhan presented the annual report.  Dr. P. Namperumalsamy, Chairman Emeritus, AECS, gave an encouraging speech on the future goals and presented the Service Awards and attendance prizes to the staff members.

Dr. R. Venkatesh presented the best paper and best video awards to the doctors. Followed by Dr. Sathya T. Ravilla, Chief, Paediatric & Adult Strabismus, presented about Aurosambaralu. Dr. G. Natchiar presented prizes to the winners for cleanliness at MLOP Hostel. Dr. Nandini, Medical Officer, served as the compere. Moreover, there was a cultural programme by MLOPs on the theme of Ramayana, showcasing their talents through dance, karate, and silambam. Additionally, there was a special dance performance by the crèche children. The programme ended with a vote of thanks by Damien Jacob, Manager, Patient Care.

Bangalore, 8-10 December

Faculty members and research scholars from Aravind Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) participated in the Prime Summit 2023 organised by Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, focusing on the theme of “Progress in regenerative & investigational medicine in eye”.

During the conference, Prof. Dharmalingam, Director-Research, AMRF, and Dr. P. Sundaresan, Scientist, AMRF, served as moderators of panel discussions on Initiating and sustaining research career in India and Identifying clinical problems and organising research strategies relevant to India. Dr. A. Vanniarajan, Scientist, AMRF, gave an invited talk on Retinoblastoma genetics to therapeutics.  Dr. Swagata Ghosh, Clinical Scientist, AMRF, delivered an invited talk on Regulation of inflammatory response in corneal infections: The dualism of MIF signalling and also won a prize in the quiz conducted during the workshop.

Research scholars presented posters on the following topics:

1. Prakash C– Does Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy inherit only maternally?
2. Aadhithiya T Gr- Identification of retinol binding protein 3 (RBP3) from vitreous and plasma extracellular vesicles as a predictive biomarker for diabetic retinopathy
3. Mathan L– Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis reveals epigenetic dysregulation in pterygium
4. Sriee Viswarubhiny– Functional analysis of GUCY2D: An intrinsic cause of Leber’s congenital amaurosis

Maharashtra, 6-7 January

Aurolab actively exhibited its products at the 48th annual conference of the Vidarbha Ophthalmic Society, ‘Eyespire 2024’ held in Maharashtra.

Aurolab, 6^th January

Pongal festival was joyously celebrated as Auro-Pongal in Nithyatha at Aurolab. A gardening competition took place on the campus, and the best garden was selected through employee voting. In addition, employees demonstrated their talents in group dance, folk dance, Silambam, and Kummi. The festivities also included a pot-breaking competition. The event concluded with a pooja conducted by Ramasamy, Personal Department, followed by the distribution of Prasad to all

Aurolab, 22-25 December

Aurolab presented Utsav 2023, after a four-year gap, with the aim of not only inspiring but also showcasing the exceptional talents of the entire Aurolab team. This four-day festival focused on the core themes of ‘Aurolab 2.0’, emphasising customer-centricity, trustworthiness, global outlook, professionalism, quality, and innovation. Utsav 2.0 was conducted as a rebranding initiative known as Aurolab 2.0. This Aurolab 2.0 enhancement is integrated into Aurolab’s operations to adapt to changing market conditions.

Utsav 2023 featured an array of competitions, including theme presentation, pencil art, essay writing, poetry, vegetable carving, poster making, ad zap, just a minute, swimming, throw ball, slow cycling, chess, carrom, treasure hunt, tug of war, lucky corner, cooking, photography & videography, flower arrangement, art from waste, singing, and speech competition (sulalum sollaragam). External judges were invited, and deserving candidates were honoured with prizes. The entire event was broadcast live, allowing everyone to witness the extraordinary talents on display.

Madhya Pradesh, November 27^th to December 2^nd

During the visit, A. Mohammed Gowth, Senior Faculty at LAICO, and Dr. Anjali Khadia, Pediatric Consultant at Aravind-Pondicherry, conducted a needs assessment at Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital in Bhopal and Govnda Netralaya in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh. The purpose was to validate the baseline information provided for the LEAP programme focusing on Enhancing cataract surgical outcomes (ECSO).
The assessment covered various aspects, including OPD, Cataract advice, Biometry, Sterilisation, Theatre, Pre-operative and post-operative processes, and work-ups. The observations were shared with the hospital teams to facilitate improvements.
Post-visit, both hospital teams participated in the ECSO Leap learning session at LAICO from December 12th to 15th. Over the next year, the resource team will conduct weekly follow-up calls to support the implementation of ideas and action plans developed during the meeting at LAICO, working towards achieving the goals.

LAICO, 12 – 15 December

LAICO conducted the first in-person learning session, as part of the Leap ECSO programme. The workshop aimed to orient the participating teams towards enhancing the quality of cataract surgery and to expose them to comprehensive clinical protocol for OPD, Surgery and follow-up, CATQA – Cataract surgery online monitoring tool, sterilisation techniques followed at Aravind, etc. Dr. R. D. Ravindran, Chairman, AECS, delivered the welcome address and R. D. Thulasiraj, Executive Director, LAICO, delivered the keynote address. Thirty one participants from nine hospitals attended, including, Divyajyoti trust (Tejas Eye Hospital), Gujarat, India, Dr. K. Zaman BNSB Eye Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, Govind Netralaya, Madhya Pradesh, India, Navbharat Jagriti Kendra, Jharkhand, India, Pushpagiri vitreo retina Institute, Telangana, India, Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital, Madhya Pradesh, India, Sitapur Eye Hospital, Uttar Pradesh, India, Grameen GC Eye Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh (Virtual), Himalaya Eye Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal (Virtual). Members from Fred Hollows foundation: Dr. Lila Raj and Mr.Vasantha kumar also joined the sessions. These hospital teams were guided by seven Ophthalmologists and senior faculty from LAICO.

Andhra Pradesh, 7^th January

Dr. R.D. Ravindran, Chairman, Aravind Eye Care System, delivered a talk on “Epidemiology of Cataract & Cataract Surgery Trends in India” at the Young Ophthalmologists Society of India (YOSI) Meet organised by Goutami Eye Institute, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.

Maharashtra, 6-7, January

Dr. Usha Kim participated in the 48th annual conference of the Vidarbha Ophthalmic Society, “Eyespire 2024,” held in Maharashtra. She delivered an engaging oration titled A journey beyond vision, and presented two insightful talks. The first talk at the National Symposium focused on Ptosis management. In the second talk, during the Orbit and Oculoplasty session, she spoke on Rare Orbital Inflammatory Conditions.

Chennai, 16-17 December

Dr. Usha Kim was invited as a guest faculty at the two-day conference, Traumacon 2023, organised by the Ocular Trauma Society of India (OTSI) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Ophthalmic Trauma Society at Ideal Beach Resort, Mahabalipuram, Chennai. She presented a topic on Unusual foreign bodies in the orbit and won a runner’s trophy at the Trauma – Ophthalmic premier league (OPL).