Mr. G. Srinivasan, the strong pillar, the silent and subtle presence that held Aravind in place is no more.

GS was born on July 7, 1934 at Vadamalapuram in Tirunelveli. He holds his B.E from Alagappa University and MS from Kansas State University, USA. Trained as a civil engineer, he worked for a brief period with the Asia Engineering Company. Later he quitted, only to join his brother Dr. G. Venkatswamy, to establish the Aravind Eye Hospital in 1976. He single-handedly managed all aspects of Aravind’s infrastructure and building projects.

A man with strong principles, GS instilled a culture of frugality into the very DNA of the organisation. But for his prudence and unstinting support, Aravind would not have reached where it is today. It is hard to fathom the depth and extent of his contributions. By embedding fiscal discipline, he ensured the financial well-being of the organisation. Beneath GS’ apparent strict demeanour, was a soul that cared for those in distress and a heart filled with a strong humor sense. Hardworking, simple and unassuming he was, his life itself was a message and source of inspiration to many, as evident from the overwhelming condolence notes received within hours of his passing.

An institution in himself, personalities like GS are hard to find. His light lives on in the lives he touched.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP) is a disorder of the retinal vasculature growth in premature babies which can lead to blindness. In India, the  incidence is 24% -47% among high risk preterm infants. Major risk factors are premature birth, low birth weight and high oxygen use in NICUS. Timing is one of the important factors that make the treatment successful.

The incidence of RoP is increasing because more NICUs are established even in rural parts of India and there is less number of ophthalmologists trained in RoP screening.

Tele screening through a portable fundus camera is an effective way to build this gap. Aravind Eye Hospital, Tirupati has launched telescreening for RoP through a  portable fundus camera called retcam. The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This is a multicentre study with Aravind-Coimbatore being the primary investigating centre.

Aravind-Coimbatore, April 26

Two workshops were organised by the Refraction department for employees and trainees. Participants were divided into 11 teams. Each team was given a skill related topic. With the help of inputs from the seniors, trainees from each group came up with presentations on various skills.  Charts and models representing vision cubicles were prepared and instruments and techniques used in refraction were displayed. PowerPoint presentations were also shown.  The whole exercise gave an opportunity for the juniors to learn more about the skills in refraction and to fine-tune their knowledge. Doctors were invited as judges and good presentations were awarded.

Aravind- Coimbatore, April 24

The CME was conducted for all staff of Aravind-Coimbatore and consisted of three sessions.  Dr.Jebinth Brayan, Medical Officer In charge, Aravind Eye Hospital, Udumalpet moderated the sessions. Mr.Gautam, Manager-Quality Assurance spoke on Excellence in service delivery in which he emphasized the importance of ensuring quality at each stage of service delivery. Ms.Rajakumari, Counselling Coordinator explored along with the participants the concept of Cure through care. Ms.Umapriya, Manager-HR dealt with the topic, Professional ethics to achieve excellence at work and motivated the participants to focus on continuous improvement.

Aravind-Coimbatore, April 17

The CME conducted for the MLOPs dealt with the procedures to handle medico legal cases and the legal formalities involved. Ms.Hema, Manager-Medical Records and Mr.Vignesh, Manager-Patient Care shared their experiences on documentation of such cases.   The session was moderated by Dr.D.Chandrasekar, Consultant, Aravind Eye Care System. The session helped the participants understand the importance of medico legal cases documentation and communication with patients or their family membersin handling such cases.

Aravind-Coimbatore, April 23

Janakaiamma Child Care Centre celebrated its annual graduation day. Children enthralled the audience with their various performances. A total of four children graduated.