Eradicating curable blindness in India !!!

One-fifth of the world's blind population is in India; 40 million visually handicapped; 15 million totally blind; Many of whom live below the poverty line, struggling to deal and live with their handicap, little knowing that 80% of the cases are curable.

Founded in 1998 by Mr. K Muralidharan, Mr. K Sridharan and Mr. Khushnood Ahmad – today, SEF is run almost entirely by group of over three hundred (and growing) energetic volunteers across the USA. In ten short years Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) has come long ways in realizing its dream of achieving 20/20 vision by year 2020 in India.
 

The result is phenomenal. Since its inception, SEF has more than doubled its funds raised almost every year. These funds have enabled the Sankara Eye Hospital, a 500 bed state-of-the art Eye Hospital in Coimbatore, founded by Dr. Ramani in 1977, to become the # 1 FREE EYE CARE HOSPITAL covering rural areas in India. With around 40,000 surgeries performed annually — and a rural outreach camp every week [not one week has been missed in the last 25 years] – the Sankara Eye Hospital has become a model institution in eliminating curable eye disease backlog in Coimbatore. The success of Coimbatore energized the SEF volunteers to extend the reach of the vision to the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh.

Inspired by the success of Sankara Eye Hospital in Coimbatore, Dr. Vivekananda Raja handed over a rural eye Hospital in Krishnan Kovil and called it Krishnarpanam. The hospital activities are being supported by philanthropists - Mr Dasi Bhudrani, international service organizations -Sight Savers International and the National Program for Control of Blindness.

Through fundraising efforts, SEF, USA has played a significant role in increasing the number of free surgeries eight fold to its current annual rate of about 60,000. With five operational hospitals by the end of the year, we are expected to perform 100,000 surgeries this year.

Sankara Eye Care Institution Performance in the year 2007.

SEF Mission: Vision 20/20  by the Year 2020.  To Reach Out to Every State in India through Community Eye Care.  Andhra Pradesh was the first step in this direction and with the community support, the hospital became a reality in 2004. We inaugurated our 4th hospital at Bangalore on March 21st 2008. Our hospitals in Shimoga and Ananda are expected to be inaugurated in October. We are also expanding the hospital in Guntur to 200 beds.

Magic Light touches Andhra Pradesh: Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur

Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur with a capacity of 100 beds was inaugurated on 1st March 2004 with the active support of the Sankara Eye Foundation USA, TANA Foundation, BATA and several other associations and individuals in the US along with philanthropic families in Guntur and near by areas.
 
The human resources in terms of Doctors and Paramedics were identified from Guntur – Vijayawada region of Andhra Pradesh underwent intensive training and orientation for over a year at the Mission Head Quarters in Coimbatore. The hospital is ably managed by our CEO, Major General Dr. Mohan Chander.

Phase II (Expansion)

Though the hospital is designed for 400 beds, we started it with 100 beds in March 2004. With this capacity we are performing over 10,000 free eye surgeries every year. The hospital is well established now and to reach out to the needy across the length and breadth of the state sooner, we are expanding it by adding 100 additional beds along with an eye bank. Phase II is expected to be operational in August 2008.

Bangalore a Major Step in Vision 20/20 by 2020

This Hospital inaugurated on March 9th 2008, is primarily serving the rural-Bangalore area. The Training Center, integrated with the hospital, imparts specialized training to doctors and support personnel for service in Sankara centers and programs nationwide. Classrooms, a seminar room, dormitory and room accommodations and a well-stocked library are a part of this Center.

Currently, the levels of cataract induced blindness amongst the 50+ age-group of the local population is as high as 4.3% and rising (for women in this age category it is as high as 5.6%). At peak operation, the hospital is expected to perform close to 25,000 free eye surgeries each year thereby bringing these levels down significantly.

The location for this modern facility could not be more ideal. It is being built on 4.5 acres of easily accessible prime property at Marathahalli. We still need to raise $400K for this hospital.

Focus Gujarat

Gujarat has approximately 500,000 visually handicap population (as of year 2001), 337,000 of them live in rural area and 228,000 of them are illiterate. The hospital set up in Gujarat can also serve visually handicapped in neighboring states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. We need to raise $450K for this hospital.

Focus Karnataka

We are establishing a state of the art eye care institution at Shimoga. A 4.5 acres land at Shimoga has been purchased with contributions received from philanthropic families of the region. This is hospital is expected to be inaugurated sometime in October.

The land is located on  Shimoga- Mangalore Highway, on the outskirts of the Shimoga City and right across the Tunga River. The Hospital will have 200 beds for free patients and 20 beds for paying patients in the first phase with all other facilities like modern surgical theatre complex and the ophthalmic diagnostic wing.  Like all the other SEF hospitals, this Hospital will also have the state-of-the-art facilities in eye care, the best of expertise and all subspecialties of ophthalmology.  This hospital will cover the interior Karnataka including Malnad and Northern Karnataka. We need $450K for this hospital.

Exciting next Steps

We will be announcing two more hospitals this year one in Punjab and the other either in Uttar Pradesh or Uttaranchal.