Aravind-Chennai, March 10

Aravind Eye Hospital, Chennai hosted a special programme – ‘Conversation with Anu’ on March 10. Anu Hasan, the well-known television anchor was the chief guest of the event. She gave an excellent talk on mental wellness and women’s empowerment. This was followed by a question and answer session during which Anu effortlessly answered every question with inspiring comments. A special video on Ms. Anu Hasan was screened. Senior staff from various departments spoke on their “Journey with Aravind”. Staff from other centres too attended the programme via Zoom.

Aravind–Tirunelveli, February 24

IT Department was shifted from the first floor to the second as part of renovation and expansion work. Dr. R. Ramakrishnan, Advisor, Aravind Eye Hospital, Tirunelveli inaugurated the new IT office in presence of Ms. Saradha Ramakrishnan, Volunteer, Aravind-Tirunelveli and staff of IT and other departments. A special pooja was performed.

Aravind–Tirunelveli, February 23

Newly joined postgraduate doctors and fellows celebrated their Freshers’ Day. Dr. R. Ramakrishnan and Dr. R. Meenakshi, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Tirunelveli were the chief guests for the function. The postgraduate doctors and fellows performed various programmes like skits and dances. The new joiners introduced themselves to the gathering. Dr. R. Ramakrishnan and Dr. Meenakshi gave an inspiring speech and stressed the importance of freshers’ day which helps to strengthen the bond between the juniors and seniors and make them acquainted with other staff of the institution. They both reiterated the responsibilities of postgraduates and fellows in achieving the mission of Aravind’s Founder Chairman, Dr. V.

Aravind–Tirunelveli, February 22

Aravind-Tirunelveli celebrated its 35th Hospital Day in a simple manner. Doctors, allied ophthalmic personnel (AOP), and admin staff joined the celebration. The function started with a prayer song followed by a welcome address. Dr. R. Madhavi, Glaucoma Consultant, Aravind-Tirunelveli, presented the annual report in a nutshell. Dr. R. Meenakshi, and Dr. R. Ramakrishnan gave an inspiring speech. Service awards and certificates were distributed to staff in recognition of their efforts. Ten staff members who had 100% on-time attendance to work in 2022 were given a certificate of appreciation and a gift. Cultural programmes were also conducted.

Aravind-Pondicherry, February 18

Aravind-Pondicherry celebrated its 20th annual day in a grand manner. The celebrations in the evening included the activity report presentation by Dr. Josephine Christy, Medical Consultant, Cornea Services, Aravind-Pondicherry. She reflected on the various milestones achieved over the past 20 years. Staff were recognised with service awards. Research awards and Innovation awards were presented to the achievers. The event ended with cultural programmes. The founding members as well as seniors from across the Aravind centres were present on the occasion.

Aravind – Pondicherry, February 17-18

Aravind Pondicherry Alumni Meet (APAM) was conducted at Le Pondy Beach Resort where alumni from across the country participated along with their families, reconnected with old friends and acquaintances, and reminisced old memories. All the residents who published their thesis so far were felicitated during the event. A “Wall of Fame” was created recognising thesis publications. A special symposium was conducted on February 18 where a star-studded panel of speakers including the founding members of Aravind Eye Care System (AECS) and eminent personalities like Dr. Alan Wagner, Wagner Kapoor Institute, Virginia Beach, USA; Dr. Geoff Tabin, Professor of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, and Chairman of the Himalayan Cataract Project; Dr. Suzanne Gilbert, Director, Center for Innovation in Eye Care at Seva Foundation; Prof. Kamalini Ramdas, Deloitte Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Professor of Management Science and Operations, London Business School; Dr. David Green, Social Entrepreneur at David Green Consulting, USA shared their inputs. The topics for these symposiums were carefully handpicked to highlight the global impact of AECS and to discuss the newer advancements in ophthalmology practice and research. The symposium was well appreciated by the participants.

Aravind-Pondicherry / Sharanam, Vanur, February 17

This one-day workshop focused on introducing examples of how ‘Lean Six Sigma’ can be applied in healthcare setups, with a particular emphasis on the improvement story presented by Dr. Alan Wagner from the Wagner Kapoor Institute. Retina and glaucoma consultants, senior leaders, and managers from all the Aravind centres attended the workshop. Dr. Wagner’s presentation detailed how his institute has adopted Lean Six Sigma methods to improve the efficiency of its care delivery processes. He also interacted with the participants and guided them to think about the ‘Lean’ way of working. In addition to Dr. Wagner’s presentation, the workshop introduced the participants to the “Model for Improvement” framework and kaizen practices. Overall, the one-day event helped the Aravind team understand the benefits of Lean Six Sigma and how to apply it in their own department/work area and discuss the newer advancements in ophthalmology practice and research. The symposium was well appreciated by the participants.

Madurai / Elumalai, February 13

Elumalai Vision Centre conducted an eye care awareness programme in Adhikaripatty, a small village with a population of 630. A total of 86 people participated. After attending the session, six people visited the vision centre to have their eyes examined.

Aravind–Tirunelveli, February 13

This year too, Aravind-Tirunelveli organised an indoor plant competition. Staff members of Aravind-Tirunelveli participated in the competition with great enthusiasm and zeal. The organising team exhibited plants in the patient waiting area and two ballot boxes were kept for the patients/attenders and staff members to cast their votes. Ms. Chitra T. Ravilla, In-charge, Aravind Communications, and Ms. Saradha were the judges. Prizes were given to staff who secured the first three places.

Aravind-Madurai /Primary Health Center, Narikudi, February 7

Aravind-Madurai organised an eye donation awareness session at Narikudi Primary Health centre. D. Saravanan, Manager, Rotary Aravind International Eye Bank, Aravind-Madurai handled the sessions on eye donation, hospital cornea retrieval programme, and the importance of healthcare professionals in eye donation. Totally 90 people, including doctors and nurses took part in the event.

Aravind–Salem, February 5

Aravind Eye Hospital, Salem organised Camp Sponsors’ Day to endorse and thank the sponsors for their support. Dr. Manohar Babu, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Salem welcomed the sponsors and delivered a special lecture stating the need for eye care in Salem, and the achievements of the hospital. A moment of silence was observed to mourn the demise of Mr. G. Srinivasan, one of the founding members of Aravind; Mr. Sankarlal, Sourashtra Welfare Association and the sponsor of Thirukailayapuram camp and Pastor Jeyasekar, Church Association, Sponsor of Kaikattivellar camp. The programme had various activities such as a quiz organised by the AOP, and an experience-sharing session. Suggestions from the sponsors were also collected. The outreach team at Aravind-Salem was introduced to the team of sponsors. A total of 71 sponsors from 39 sponsoring organisations/associations participated in the event.