Aravind-Madurai, 11-13 April

Aravind-Madurai organised two workshops as part of Training the Trainers. The first one-day workshop held on 11th April aimed to teach the trainers Life Skill Programmes for MLOPs. Ariara Velan, Founder, Thalir Thiran Thittam (TTT), and Bhaskaran, Tamil Nadu State Head, TTT, conducted sessions on how to handle the Life skill programmes.
The second workshop was a two-day event, organised on 12 and 13 April 2024, for the MLOP Academic team of Aravind Eye Hospitals, comprising MLOP Doctor In-charge-2, MLOP Superintendent-2, Academic Coordinators, Academic Managers, and Tutors from each department. The objective of the workshop was to bring ‘Role Clarification’ among the different academic teams and train them in effective administration skills.
The programme included various sessions on Sharing best practices at each centre, Role clarity & key performance indicators, Mentoring, How to conduct rounds, Importance of logbooks and documentation, Training slow learners, How to conduct general orientation effectively, Overview of academic calendar and monthly planning, and Auroshiksha Reports. The team also engaged in reviewing the yearly calendar of their department and finalising the skill set for the first year of the training programme. The Programme concluded with action points and suggestions by Dr. R.D. Ravindran, Chairman, AECS, and Dr. Usha Kim, Regional HR Director, AECS. About 64 participants from all hospitals participated in the workshops.

Aravind-Madurai, 7^th April

The Tamil Nadu Ophthalmic Association (TNOA) organised TNOA Gurukulam @ 2.1: A Postgraduate Refresher Meet in collaboration with the Madurai Ophthalmologists Association (MOA) at Aravind-Madurai. The event commenced with a warm welcome address by Dr. Usha Kim, Regional Director of HR, followed by the Presidential Address delivered by Dr. T. Nirmal Fredrick, President of TNOA.
The programme featured scientific discussions held in two separate halls to accommodate all registered postgraduates. Eminent faculty from Government and Private Colleges presented exam-oriented lectures, providing valuable insights for postgraduates pursuing degrees in ophthalmology. Dr. S.R. Krishnadas, President of MOA, extended gratitude to the office bearers of TNOA, MOA, and all participants.
The symposium garnered significant attendance, with a total of 201 participants, including faculty and postgraduates.

Aravind-Salem, 5^th April

The eighth vision centre of Aravind-Salem, marking the 113th centre for the Aravind Eye Care System, was opened in Thalaivasal, Salem. The centre was inaugurated by Subburaman, Founder, Ayyappan Bhajana Mandali, Dr. Selvam, Chief Doctor, Karthik Nursing Home, Dr. A.K. Ramasamy, Secretary, Bharathiyar College of Education, Jagathesan, President, Attur Aadhavan Lions Club, Chandran and Shankar, representatives from Lions Club. The leadership team of Aravind-Salem, including Dr. B. Manohar Babu, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Salem, Dr. R. Sankarananthan, Medical Consultant, and Dr. Supraja, Medical Consultant, as well as the hospital staff, participated in the inaugural event. On the first day, approximately 97 patients underwent screening at the centre.

Aravind-Tirunelveli, 5^th April

The Remidio fundus camera at the free outpatient section was inaugurated by Dr. R. Ramakrishnan Advisor, Aravind-Tirunelveli, in the presence of Dr. S. Padmavathy, Regional HR Director.

Aravind-Madurai, 31^st March

In observance of World Glaucoma Week, Aravind-Madurai, in collaboration with the Ophthalmologists Association, organised a symposium on the Basics of Clinical Perimetry. Dr. K. Naresh Babu, Chief, Retina Vitreous Services, Aravind-Madurai, welcomed the gathering, and Dr. R. Kim, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Madurai, delivered the inaugural address. The invited guest faculty, Dr. Gudimetla Ramachandra Reddy, Ophthalmologist, Dr. G.R. Reddy Eye Care Centre, Tadepalligudem, Andhra Pradesh, delivered a keynote address on Structure function correlations, and engaged in interactive discussions on complex concepts in Perimetry, being authored the textbook on Perimetry. Additionally, Dr. A. Vijayalakshmi, Medical Consultant, Glaucoma Services, Aravind-Madurai, discussed the Perimetric interpretation of glaucomatous visual fields. The symposium was attended by a total of 119 participants, including faculty and postgraduates.

Aravind-Tirunelveli, 17-23 March

During World Optometry Week from 17 to 23 March, Aravind-Tirunelveli organised a series of programmes and activities. On 19th March, a session on “Newly introduced lenses and troubleshooting” was conducted for both Refractionists and optical staff by Essilor Company.
The following day featured a session titled “Updates in refraction”, organised for optical staff by Ayirathammal, Senior supervisor, Refraction, Selvi, Senior refractionist, and Uma Parvathi, Senior refractionist.
Additionally, on 21st March, a session on “Updates in lenses, frames, and grinding” was organised for refraction staff by Parvathi, Senior optical refractionist, and Ram Karthika, Senior optical staff.
On 22nd March, an awareness exhibition showcasing informative charts and display models was inaugurated by Dr. R. Meenakshi, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Tirunelveli, in the presence of Dr. S. Padmavathy, Regional HR Director.
Furthermore, a quiz programme was conducted with enthusiastic participation from Refraction and Optical staff. Additionally, skill and theory exams were held for all Refractionists. Dr. R. Meenakshi and Dr. S. Padmavathy presented the winners with prizes.