Sankara Eye Hospital is a not for profit charitable trust which aims at providing affordable eye care and eliminating curable eye blindness in India.[1] Having its headquarters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Sankara is among the largest community eye care providers in India with ten super specialty eye care hospitals across the country performing over 150,000 free eye surgeries annually.
The hospital follows an 80:20 business model, in which 80 per cent of the patients from rural parts of the country are treated for free, and the remaining 20 per cent are the rich and the middle income sections of the society, who pay for their treatment, thereby cross-subsidizing the free surgeries and making the Hospital self-sustaining.[2] In 2013, Sankara conducted its one millionth free eye surgery.[3]
History
The organization was founded in 1977 by Dr.R.V. Ramani, one of the earliest Doctors of Coimbatore, and his wife Dr. Radha Ramani.[4] The origins of Sankara Eye Foundation can be traced back to the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust.[4] During the initial 5 years of the Movement, the Honorary Panel of Doctors slowly expanded and 75 Consultants from various specialties of medicine came forward voluntarily to join the team in an honorary capacity. By 1982, the activities of the Trust had grown considerably well, and in 1985, the Trust identified community eye care as the major specialized activity. Sankara Eye Hospital was thus established in Sivanandapuram, Coimbatore on the land donated by Late N. Natraj & Family.[5]
Expansion
The Sankara Eye Hospital since its inception has now established 11 hospitals across the nation replicating the 80:20 model.
Guntur, Andhra Pradesh Sankara Eye Hospital, was established in the year 2004 (March). Built in over 4.35 acres land, the hospital is a 225 bed capacity facility.
Krishnankoil, Tamil Nadu was inaugurated on February 4, 2004 by Sri. VijayKumar IAS, Collector of Ramanathapuram District and Sri Mohamed Aslam IAS, Collector of Virudhunagar District. Built in over 6.1 acres land, the hospital is a 225 bed capacity facility.
Anand, Gujarat Sankara Eye Hospital, was established in the year 2008. The hospital was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Built in over 5.5 acres land, the hospital is a 225 bed capacity facility.[6]
Bangalore, Karnataka was inaugurated in 2008 and it has attained self-sufficiency because of the paying patients it is able to attract. Built in over 4 acres land, the hospital is a 225 bed capacity facility.
Shivamoga, Karnataka was inaugurated on October 12, 2008. It was made possible due to the initiative of a group of residents from Shimoga who heard about Sankara and approached the group for setting up a hospital in Shivamoga. Built in over 5.5 acres land, the hospital is a 225 bed capacity facility.[7]
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (R.S. Puram) was established in the year 2011. The hospital functions as a facility performing day care surgery with an operation theatre complex, outpatient clinics and optical services.
Ludhiana, Punjab was inaugurated on April 2, 2012 by Charanjeet Singh Atwal, speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, in the presence of Sankaracharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and Singh Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedhar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, among others. Built in over 2 acres of gifted land, the hospital is having 125 beds in total where 100 dedicated for the free patients and 25 rooms for the paying patients.[8]
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh Sankara Eye Hospital, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh was inaugurated on October 12, 2014. Sankaracharya of Kanchi was present for the inaugural function.[9]
Jaipur, Rajasthan Sankara Eye Hospital is opening its doors to eye care needs of Jaipur for the first time in December 2017. The Hospital performs Refractions to advanced eye care surgeries of Cataract, Retinal surgeries, Corneal Transplants, Paediatric Eye care and Squints, Glaucoma.
Sankara Eye Centre, Indore, Madhya Pradesh the 11th eye hospital of Sankara Eye Foundation, India. This hospital is designed to deliver eye treatment related with Cornea, Retina, Glaucoma, and Diabetic retinopathy to the both rural and urban peoples of Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Sankara Eye Bank
The Sankara Eye Bank Coimbatore started functioning from 1987 to promote organ and tissue donation through a program of public and professional education and donor registration; and to procure and distribute eye tissue for transplant surgery.[10] The Sankara Eye Bank is recognized as a model eye bank by the Government of India, receiving a pair of eyes every day.
Shankaracharya is a religious title used by the heads of amnaya monasteries called mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism. The title derives from Adi Shankara; teachers from the successive line of teachers retrospectively dated back to him are known as Shankaracharyas.
Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi ShankaracharyaSwamigal was the 69th Shankaracharya Guru and head or pontiff (Pïțhādhipati) of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer was nominated by his predecessor, Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, as his successor and was given the pontifical title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on 22 March 1954.
Kalady or Kaladi is a town located between Angamaly and Perumbavoor, east of the Periyar river, near to Malayattoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, not far from Cochin International Airport. It is notable as the birthplace of 9th century Indian philosopher Adi Shankara.
Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, also called the Sri Kanchi Matham or the Moolamnaya Sarvagnya Peetham, is a Hindu religious center of Vedic learning, located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. It is housed at the Kamakshi Amman Temple of the Shaktism tradition, which also contains a shrine for the Advaita Vedanta teacher Adi Shankara.
Sankara Nethralaya is a non-profit missionary institution for ophthalmic care headquartered in Chennai, India.
Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal also known as the Sage of Kanchi or Mahaperiyavar was the 68th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Mahaperiyavar's discourses have been recorded in a Tamil book titled "Deivathin Kural".
Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), formerly Bangalore Medical College (BMC), is a medical college run by the Government of Karnataka. It is located on K.R. Road, near City Market. It is a government medical college in Bangalore and one of 10 in Karnataka. BMCRI is an autonomous institution under the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Jayanagar, Bangalore.
Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) USA is a US-based non-profit organization that works toward eliminating curable blindness in India. SEF is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization.
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Andhra Medical College is a public medical college in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, and affiliated to Dr. YSR University of Health Sciences. It is the oldest medical college in Andhra Pradesh, the sixth oldest & one of the top medical colleges in India. It is recognized by the Medical Council of India.
Healthcare in Ahmedabad is provided through several hospitals and medical colleges – both government and private. In addition to providing healthcare to the Gujarat population, Ahmedabad also focuses on medical tourism and in 2009 received about 1,500 visitors from outside the state, including some from abroad.
Jagadguru Sri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal is the 70th Jagadguru Peethadipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Kanchipuram. He became the senior Pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt following the death of Jayendra Saraswati, the 69th Pontiff, on 28 February 2018.
Sankurathri Foundation (SF) was established in 1989 by Dr. Chandra Sekhar Sankurathri in memory of his wife Manjari, son Kiran and daughter Sarada, who died in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 off the coast of Ireland on 23 June 1985.
Government Erode Medical College, formerly IRT Perundurai Medical College, is a government medical school in Erode, Tamil Nadu. It is affiliated to Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University. It is located off Salem-Kochi National Highway 544 near Perundurai in Erode. The school includes a hospital. The college was originally established under Institute of Road and Transport by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation.
Healthcare in Chennai is provided by both government-run and private hospitals. Chennai attracts about 45 percent of health tourists from abroad arriving in the country and 30 to 40 percent of domestic health tourists. The city has been termed India's health capital. Multi- and super-specialty hospitals across the city bring in an estimated 150 international patients every day. Factors behind the tourists' inflow in the city include low costs, little to no waiting period, and facilities offered at the speciality hospitals in the city.
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