Monday, December 23, 2013

symposium on genetic Counseling and Gene Testing - Conducted by Sankara Nethralaya Academy and Visiion Research Foundation on 21.12.2013


In-depth symposium marks two decades of genetic research at Sankara Nethralaya

Nothing perhaps captures the spirit of learning and research at the Kamalnayan Bajaj Institute for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the research arm of Sankara Nethralaya than the fact that research in genetics and molecular biology towards finding causes and solutions to ocular issues began here in right earnest 20 years ago, at a time when such genetic research especially in a non - government body was most uncommon. Started as a Cytogenics Laboratory in 1993, it evolved into a full fledged, State of the Art Genetics laboratory and was named as the ONGC Genetics Department in recognition of the large funding made by the Public Sector Undertaking.

The research facility in deference to the wishes of its visionary founder Dr SS.Badrinath decided to celebrate its 20th year of operation as a day of knowledge sharing and learning and joined hands with the Sankara Nethralaya Academy the academic arm of Sankara Nethralaya to fulfill its objective.

The research institution and the academic arm of Sankara Nethralaya organized an in-depth one day symposium titled ‘SN Genetics” 2013 – A symposium on Gene Counseling and Gene Testing” at the Sri V.D. Swami Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya main campus on 21st December 2013, with guest lectures on the entire gamut of genetic research by experts from the field. Shri Sanjay Wadhwani, Deputy General Manager and Head- Human Resource, ONGC, Chennai was the Chief Guest of the occasion. The event generated a high degree of interest among the student and teaching community with a high number of participants registering for it from both categories. The in-depth nature and educational value of the symposium can be gauged by the fact that “The Center for CME Accreditation of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University” awarded 10 Credit Points in Category – II to it.

Dr Rama Rajaram, Advisor, Vision Research Foundation warmly welcomed the Chief guest of the day, dignitaries and participants and gave an interesting recap of the laboratory’s inception and evolving into a State of the Art Genetics laboratory with qualified and dedicated personnel, its path breaking research in Stem Cell, nano-biotechnology, collaborative molecular research, the good number of Patents to its credit and the support it received from funding bodies like the ICMR, DBT etc. Dr AJ. Pandian, Reader and Head of the Genetics laboratory started his address with a warm note of thanks to the ONGC for its most generous donation in aid of the Genetics laboratory; he thanked Dr SS.Badrinath for sowing the seeds and inspiring the commemorative symposium and expressed that it would be made as an annual event from next year.                         

Delivering the Chief Guest’s address Shri Sanjay Wadhwani had a high word of praise for Sankara Nethralaya’s community services and research; he lauded the institution for being looked upon with respect and high esteem by society at large. Drawing a parallel between Sankara Nethralaya’s pioneering research to find solutions to ophthalmic issues and the research by his own organization the ONGC, to find solutions to the nation’s increasing energy needs through exploring hydrocarbon reserves, he underlined that it is only research that leads to new thought and new direction and it is research which directly impacts the needs of the community. He underlined that the ONGC was proud of its association with an institution like the Sankara Nethralaya and its head Dr SS.Badrinath and happy to be of service to society through this association and closed his address with the observation that the institution had the good fortune of being nurtured by Dr. SS.Badrinath and receives its direction from him which makes the learning experience here most stimulating.

Thanking the Chief guest Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya, recalled the major role of Shri Subir Raha, former Chairman & MD, ONGC in the huge funding of Sankara Nethralaya’s research initiatives by the No-1 Public Sector Undertaking in the country and bringing about the association between the two institutions and the eye care camps conducted by Sankara Nethralaya in the villages surrounding Karaikal where the ONGC is active, he expressed that Sankara Nethralaya would only be too happy to reciprocate the generous gesture of ONGC by conducting free eye camps in the places of its choice. Dr SS.Badrinath highlighted the vital role of youth in moulding the future of the country and reiterated his appeal made to them recently at the NDTV awarding ceremony at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, underlining his appeal with the poignant words of John Kennedy “Ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country”.

The day witnessed in-depth lectures by experts on the entire gamut of genetic study including genetic disorders, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis, role of latest technology in genetics and molecular diagnosis, research on the role of genes in diabetes mellitus and ocular disorders. The highly informative and absorbing proceedings concluded with a detailed  description of the special tests in terms of toxic and trace elements being carried out at the Sri Nathella Sampathu Clinical Laboratory at the Sankara Nethralaya main campus and a special felicitation to the researchers for the excellent work and their team members who played the role of internal assessors for their dedicated support and commitment in going out of their regular work to ensure the right documentation and quality control leading to the laboratory winning the highly prestigious accreditation by the NABL (National Accreditation Board for Laboratories) and renewal of the same for 4 times. Dr N. Soumitra, Lecturer at the ONGC Genetics and Molecular biology delivered the Vote of Thanks after which the jubilant participants shared their feedback and collected their participation certificates.

The Founder of Sankara Nethralaya Dr SS.Badrinath had a special word of praise for Shri A. Mahalingam, Assistant Registrar, Sankara Nethralaya Academy for his role in developing the academy and organizing the symposium and Social Worker Shri Arokiaswamy for his tireless role and unstinted support in creating awareness on Sankara Nethralaya’s activities.

 

Sunday, December 8, 2013

சங்கர நேத்ராலயாவுக்கு ரூ.1.95 கோடி:பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கி உதவி


சங்கர நேத்ராலயாவுக்கு ரூ.1.95 கோடி:

பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கி உதவி

 

சென்னை:சென்னை, சங்கர நேத்ராலயா மருத்துவமனைக்கு, சமூக கூட்டாண்மை பொறுப்பு திட்டம் கீழ், 1.95 கோடி ரூபாய் நிதி உதவியை, பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கி வழங்கியது.

 

பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கி சார்பில், சமூக கூட்டாண்மை பொறுப்பு திட்டம் கீழ், நலத்திட்ட உதவிகள் வழங்கும் நிகழ்ச்சி, சென்னை, நுங்கம்பாக்கம் சங்கர நேத்ராலயாவில் நடந்தது. சங்கர நேத்ராலயா மருத்துவ மனையின் விரிவாக்க கட்டுமான பணிக்காக, 1.95 கோடி ரூபாய் காசோலையை, வங்கி தலைமை அதிகாரியும், தேசிய வங்கி குழு தலைவருமான, கிருஷ்ணகுமார் வழங்கினார்.

 

காசோலையை, சங்கர நேத்ராலயா தலைவர் டாக்டர் பத்ரிநாத் பெற்றுக் கொண்டார். சென்னை மண்டல தலைமை பொது மேலாளர் வர்ஷா புரந்தரே, பொது மேலாளர்கள் சந்திவ் சந்தா, கீர்த்திவாசன் உள்ளிட்டோர் பங்கேற்றனர்.

 

மேலும், திருநெல்வேலி அமர் சேவா சங்கம், தூத்துக்குடி நாசரேத் திருச்சபை டிரஸ்ட், மதுரை அட்சயா அறக்கட்டளை மற்றும் தேனி ரீச்சுடு தி அன்ரீச்சுடு தொண்டு நிறுவனங்களுக்கும், தலா ஒரு ஆம்புலன்ஸ் வாகனங்களையும், பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கி வழங்கியது.

 

சமூகப் பணியில் நிறுவனங்களின் பங்களிப்பு தேவை:பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கியின் நிர்வாக இயக்குநர் கிருஷ்ணகுமார்


சமூகப் பணியில் நிறுவனங்களின் பங்களிப்பு தேவை:

 

சமூக சேவையில் நிறுவனங்கள் மற்றும் செல்வந்தர்கள் தங்களால் இயன்ற பங்களிப்பை அளிக்க வேண்டும் என பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கியின் நிர்வாக இயக்குநர் கிருஷ்ணகுமார் கூறினார்.

சென்னை சங்கர நேத்ராலயா கண் மருத்துவமனை சார்பில் ஸ்ரீ சிவசைலம் கட்டடம் நுங்கம்பாக்கத்தில் கட்டப்பட்டு வருகிறது. அந்த கட்டடத்தின் முதல் தளம் கட்டுவதற்காக பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கி சார்பில் நன்கொடை வழங்கும் நிகழ்ச்சி வெள்ளிக்கிழமை நடைபெற்றது. இதில் வங்கியின் நிர்வாக இயக்குநர் ஏ.கிருஷ்ணகுமார் ரூ.1 கோடியே 90 லட்சத்துக்கான காசோலையை மருத்துவமனையின் நிறுவனர் டாக்டர் எஸ்.எஸ்.பத்ரிநாத்திடம் வழங்கிப் பேசியது: பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கி தனது வாடிக்கையாளர்களுக்கு தரமிக்க சேவையை வழங்குவதோடு கல்வி, மருத்துவம் உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு துறைகளிலும் இயன்ற பங்களிப்பை அளித்து வருகிறது.

மும்பை உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு நகரங்களில் உள்ள பள்ளிகளுக்கு குடிநீர் சுத்திகரிக்கும் கருவிகள், மின்விசிறிகள் உள்ளிட்ட உதவிகளை வழங்கி வருகிறது.

சங்கர நேத்ராலயா கண் மருத்துமனை போன்று மக்களுக்கு சேவை புரியும் அறக்கட்டளைகள் நாட்டில் பல்கிப் பெருக வேண்டும். அப்போதுதான் ஏழைகள், மாற்றுத்திறனாளிகள் உள்ளிட்ட பலதரப்பினரும் மேம்பட்ட மருத்துவ சேவையைப் பெற முடியும்.

மிகப்பெரிய நிறுவனங்கள் மற்றும் பொருளாதார ரீதியாக உயர்ந்த நிலையில் உள்ளவர்கள் இதுபோன்ற அறக்கட்டளைகளுக்கு தங்களால் இயன்ற உதவிகளைச் செய்ய முன் வர வேண்டும் என்றார் கிருஷ்ணகுமார்.

கண் மருத்துவத்தில் சர்வதேச ரீதியிலான சிகிச்சைகள் அளிப்பதற்காக அறக்கட்டளையின் சார்பில் மொத்தம் ரூ.150 கோடி மதிப்பில் பல்வேறு திட்டங்கள் வகுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதன் மூலம் பொருளாதார ரீதியாக பின்தங்கியுள்ளவர்கள் உயர் சிகிச்சைகளை சலுகை கட்டணத்தில் பெற முடியும் என்று டாக்டர் எஸ்.எஸ்.பத்ரிநாத் கூறினார்.

சங்கர நேத்ராலயா கண் மருத்துவமனையின் தலைவர் டாக்டர் எஸ்.பாஸ்கரன், துணைத் தலைவர் டாக்டர் எஸ்.சுரேந்திரன், பாரத ஸ்டேட் வங்கியின் சென்னை மண்டல தலைமைப் பொதுமேலாளர் வர்ஷா புரந்தரே உள்ளிட்டோர் கலந்துகொண்டனர்.

SBI donates nearly Rs. 2 crore for Sankara Nethralaya Eye hospital


SBI donates nearly Rs. 2 crore for Sankara Nethralaya Eye hospital:


A neighbour is one who helps in need. Sankara Nethralaya and State Bank of India, neighbours on College Road, are doing just that. On Friday, SBI presented a cheque for Rs. 1.9 crore for the proposed six-storey tertiary care block on Pycrofts Garden Road. The donation is part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility initiative.

A. Krishna Kumar, managing director, SBI corporate centre, said the bank’s CSR activities began in earnest three years ago and some of the donations given to schools made them aware of the need to improve the education and health sectors in the country.

In his acceptance speech, S.S. Badrinath, chairman emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya, said the bank has been referring indigent patients to the hospital for free cataract surgery.

Delineating the social activities the hospital had done, he said he would like to educate the bank’s employees and customers on the need to take care of their eyes.
 
 

Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Living & Loving Legend - Dr S S Badrinath(Founder of Sankara Nethralaya,Medical Research Foundation, Chennai)


               The modest doctor with a great vision
           A Living & Loving Legend - Dr S S Badrinath
               (Founder of Sankara Nethralaya,Medical Research Foundation, Chennai)


Early life: Dr Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath was born on February 24, 1940 in Triplicane, a suburb of Chennai. His father, S. V. Srinivasa Rao, an engineer was employed in the Madras Government Service. Badrinath's mother, Lakshmi Devi was the daughter of an advocate from Nerur, Tamil Nadu. He lost both his parents while still in his teens and completed his medical studies from the insurance money obtained following the demise of his father. Beginning his education late at age 7, due to a childhood illness, Dr Badrinath studied at PS High School,Mylapore and Sri Ramakrishna Mission High School, Chennai. He completed his collegiate study at Loyola College between 1955 and 1957.

 

Medical career: Badrinath graduated from the Madras Medical College, Madras in 1963. He did his internship and a year of internal medicine residency at the Glasslands Hospital, New York, USA. Following the study of Basic Sciences in Ophthalmology at the New York University postgraduate Medical School, he did residency in Ophthalmology at the Brooklyn eye and Ear Infirmary, New York, and a fellowship with the legendary Dr. Charles Schepens, regarded by many in the profession as "the father of modern retinal surgery, at the Retina Service of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada in 1969 and Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology in 1970.

 

He returned to India in 1970 and from 1970, for a period of six years, Dr. Badrinath worked at the Voluntary Health Services, Chennai as a consultant. He set up his private practice in ophthalmology and vitreoretinal surgery at the H.M.Hospital (1970 to 1972) and Vijaya Hospital, Chennai (1973 to 1978). He has over 60 peer reviewed publications till date.

 

The Birth of Sankara Nethralaya:

In 1974, Dr. Badrinath had the opportunity to serve his spiritual guru, Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekerendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the 68th Peetathipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and it was in 1976 when addressing a group of doctors, Hindu spiritual guru, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, the Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam spoke of the need to create a hospital with a missionary spirit. Heeding the guru's words, Dr. Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath, along with a group of philanthropists founded the Medical & Vision Research Foundations in Madras in 1978 with an object of practicing quality eye care in ophthalmology, training and teaching of Ophthalmology and pursue research in Ophthalmology. Sankara Nethralaya, a charitable not-for-profit eye hospital is a unit of the Medical Research Foundation.

In a solemn function held at the premises of the Vijaya Hospital, Chennai with Semmangudi Srinivasa Aiyer offering the prayer, the project was inaugurated.

About Sankara Nethralaya(SN):

In 35 years, Sankara Nethralaya has grown into a super specialty institution for ophthalmic care and receives patients from all over the country and from abroad.

 Sankara Nethralaya is one of the leading super speciality institutions for ophthalmic care in India. Sankara Nethralaya, meaning “The Temple of the Eye”, was founded in 1978 as a unit of Medical Research Foundation. It is a charitable, not-for-profit institution.

 

 Located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Sankara Nethralaya has grown tremendously since its commencement— thanks to the unconditional and generous support received from all quarters of society — and has gained international excellence for its quality and affordable eye care services. Its goals include providing quality ophthalmic care at affordable cost to patients, free eye care treatment to indigent patients and teaching and training an army of personnel to combat blindness affecting the population of India.

 

 Today, the institute has over 75 eye care professionals examining around 1,800 patients and performing around 140 surgeries every day. It offers state-of –the-art facilities and has 32 operation theatres equipped with the latest equipment.

 

 We have a team of dedicated consultants who strive to ensure quality eye care to patients in all sub specialities of ophthalmology including cornea, glaucoma, neuro ophthalmology, ocular oncology, orbital oculoplasty, paediatric ophthalmology, uveitis and vitreoretinal.

 

 Sankara Nethralaya is a one-stop referral ophthalmic institution adhering to the strictest norms of quality.

It is also the FIRST eye hospital in Asia to get an ISO quality certification and NABH/ NABL too.

 

 Community Services  

 In a developing country like India, the rural population still has difficulty in accessing quality eye treatment. 70% of the population lives in rural areas whereas 70% of the ophthalmologists are based in urban and semi-urban areas. At the heart of every endeavour of Sankara Nethralaya is a strong focus and emphasis on COMMUNITY SERVICE, which has been vehemently pursued over the years. The community service initiatives include conducting eye-camps in rural areas, conducting free surgeries to those with an income of less than Rs. 3,500 per month, through the Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre — a 75 bedded hospital with five operation theatres — and successfully and relentlessly taking mobile teleophthalmology benefits to the door steps of the poor in rural India.  Sankara Nethralaya also conducts screening camps at schools and holds awareness programmes. The pride and hall mark of Sankara Nethralaya’s community initiative is the cost free eye care service that it extends to the Jawans and army personnel at all levels. Protecting the eyesight of those who are engaged in the protection of the nation is a service we extend with our heads held high with pride and patriotic fervour.

    

 Sankara Nethralaya is the pioneer in mobile teleophthalmology practice in the country. Teleophthalmology holds great potential in improving the quality, access, and affordability in health care for rural patients. Taking medical services to the doorstep of the underprivileged in rural India, a fully equipped van with all medical and telemedicine facilities visits the rural areas where patients are screened thoroughly by a team of optometrists for various eye disorders, including cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. A glass dispensing unit ensures that those in need of spectacles are provided one at the campsite at a very nominal cost. Based on their diagnosis, the patients are brought to Sankara Nethralaya for further treatment, which is provided free of cost. Our efforts are whole heartedly supported by social service organizations such as the Tulsi Trust, the Lions Club, the Singvi Charitable Trust, the Sai Trust, to name a few.

 

 We began our teleophthalmology project in 2003 and so far nearly 3 lakh patients have benefited from the rural teleophthalmology camps that Sankara Nethralaya has held in four States in the country.

 

Quality Initiatives

 Sankara Nethralaya strives for continuous quality improvement and complies with international standards to implement quality systems.  


All patients — both paying and non-paying — receive the same care at our hospitals. The hospital introduced the Total Quality Management policies at its institution. Trained dedicated personnel and ophthalmic nursing assistants provide twenty-four hour nursing care. Our in-patient services are fully supported by a drug counter and canteen facilities for the patients as well as their attendants. The Main Campus has received NABH accreditation & NABL for its Laboratories.

 

Spreading our wings

 

Apart from having five branches in Chennai and one in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, we also offer our services at Mukundapur in Kolkata (West Bengal), Tirupathi and Sri City (Andhra Pradesh)

Every year we receive a significant number of patients from across the world. In recent times, Sankara Nethralaya has forged ties with the Sultanate of Oman and Mauritius to offer quality eye care treatment to their citizens.

 

Mobile Surgical Bus – The next level in outdoor community ophthalmology

 

As an eye care institution with a strong orientation on reaching out high quality eye care to the poor and needy right at their doorstep, we are proud to say that our outreach programmes have kept pace with the technological advancements in our laboratories and wards and have become more sophisticated in nature and offer a larger coverage of patients and reach out to the most inaccessible regions. We started our outreach programmes 3 decades ago in the form of regular vans that cover the rural and semi-urban areas screening the locals for cataract with those found needing surgery being transported to the base hospital for surgery, this moved to the next stage of mobile tele-ophthalmology units aided by advanced INSAT communication which made it possible to do more advanced eye examinations with the help of a remote operated Fundus camera whose images could be viewed by an ophthalmologist at the base hospital.

We are happy to bring to your notice that we have evolved to the next stage in community outreach service through the Mobile surgical bus or the twin bus a Medico-engineering marvel, a State of the Art, first of its kind in Asia operation theatre on wheels developed in collaboration with IIT-Madras, which facilitates the carrying out of cataract surgeries incorporating recent advances like implanting of Intraocular lens and phaco-emulsification as ambulatory surgery right at the doorstep of the rural and tribal patient, totally cost free. It was most heartening to note during our pilot run and subsequent campaigns of the mobile surgical units in the remote regions of Vellore, Pernambut, Thiruvannamalai and Chunampet that the old, feeble, handicapped and those who did not have the means to make their way to a base hospital due to socio-economic reasons even if cost free surgery was available turned up in good numbers to avail the facility when it was brought to their door step.

Sankara Nethralaya Diabetic Retinopathy Project (SNDRP)

SNDRP was initiated in 2003 to combat rising prevalence of diabetes related-blindness. The six major components of SNDRP were rural diabetic retinopathy screening program, urban epidemiological & molecular genetic study, tele-screening, urban incidence study of DR and rural epidemiological study of prevalence of DR.

 Rural Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program

An important objective was to create a comprehensive diabetic retinopathy screening model for rural population. Between 2003 and 2006, 458 awareness meetings were conducted to spread the message on diabetes and diabetic retinopathy; over 150,000 people were benefited.

Urban Epidemiological and Molecular Genetic Study

A population based study, designed to elucidate the prevalence of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in urban Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. Using stratified random sampling, based on socioeconomic status, 5999individuals above the age of 40 years were enrolled. All known and newly diagnosed diabetics underwent comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation including 450 four field digital fundus photographs. Prevalence of DM was 28.2% Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in population with diabetes mellitus was 18.0%.

Tele diabetic retinopathy screening

Tele diabetic retinopathy screening model was initiated to reach remote rural areas in both Tamilnadu and Karnataka. A mobile van having a customized ophthalmic office with satellite connectivity to the base hospital was used. The fundus images were transmitted real time by satellite connectivity for interpretation and diagnosis and counseling. The procedure was found to be cost-effective; telescreening is an important tool for mass screening of diabetic population in the rural areas.

Urban Incidence Study of Diabetic Retinopathy is an ongoing study initiated in 2008 to to find the 4 year incidence of Diabetic Retinopathy in Urban Cohort. The clinical, genetic and biochemical risk factors for progression of retinopathy will be elucidated.

Rural epidemiological study of prevalence of DR: Based on findings of rising prevalence of DR from our self reported rural population screening program, a rural epidemiological study of DR is initiated in 2008 to find the prevalence of DR in rural areas. The study is conducted through a well equipped mobile van with laboratory and comprehensive eye examination setup.

Education: 

Education, we believe, is a powerful tool to empower individuals. Sankara Nethralaya is a recognised academic institution, conducting graduate, postgraduate, research, fellowship and continuing medical education programmes. The institution has trained more than 300 Ophthalmologists all over India.

 

It also publishes books to share scientific practice in eye care.  One-third of all ophthalmology research publications, from India, come from Sankara NethralayaSankara Nethralaya also has collaborations with academic and research institutions around the world.

 

 While providing quality and affordable eye care service to all sections of society is our area of focus, the back-up for eye care delivery comes from the constant innovative research undertaken by yet another arm of the group – the Vision Research Foundation.

 

Birth of The Sankara Nethralaya Academy (TSNA):

 

In January 2010, Sankara Nethralaya decided to scale up the Academic activities through setting up of “The Sankara Nethralaya Academy”. The Sankara Nethralaya Academy would function as a unit of Medical Research Foundation.

The SN Academy is avowed to employ a system of educating people imparting knowledge through instruction courses, training classes, and usher in newer training/teaching methodologies including the use of IT. The objective is to teach courses that deal with A to Z in healthcare services. 

 

As part of the SN Academy, Certificates and fellowships program’s of various durations would be awarded at the end of successful completion of different courses. Importance to practical training would be of utmost importance definitely necessitating smaller number of students per class and longer duration of courses. Both Distance education program and residential form of education would be imparted.

Recognitions for Dr S S Badrinath:

The Government of India awarded Dr Badrinath Padma Sri in 1983

Recipient of Dr B. C. Roy National Award (1991).

Padma Bhushan in 1999 from The Government of India

He is a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

He has been bestowed honorary doctorate degrees by Annamalai and Tamilnadu Dr M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, in 1995.

Dhanvantri Award, in 1999.

Dadhabhai Naoroji Award (2004)

Rameshwardas Birla Award (2004)

Life Time Achievement Award given by the International Medical Integration Council & Optimal Healthcare Group (India) in 2004,

Qimpro Platinum Standard-Healthcare Award in (2005)

Hall of Fame Award (2005)

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2005)

Felicitation given by St. John Ambulance (24th December 2005)

Award of Excellence (25th December 2005)

Life Time Achievement Award given by ICFAI in 2005

Mahaveer Award (11th January 2006)

Nayanashri Award given by the 25th Madhva Tatvajnana Sammelana in 2006.

ICO Golden Apple Award for the Best Clinical Teacher in Ophthalmology in the APAO region 2006 by APAO - June 2006.

“The Distinguished Citizen Award - 2006” given by Hamsadhwani – a cultural organization on 17.8.2006

Recipient of Dr Subramanian Oration Award presented by Karnataka Ophthalmic Society at its 25th Annual Conference on 11th November 2006 at Hubli

Humanity Award given by the Hindustan Chamber of Commerce – Chennai on 29.11.2006

9th Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati National Eminence Award given by The South Indian Education Society, Mumbai on 9.12.2006

Lakshmipat Singhania – IIM, Lucknow National Leadership Awards 2006 given by the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow from the hands of the Honourable Prime Minister in Delhi on 23.12.2006

IMC Juran Quality Award from Indian Merchants’ Chamber on 13.3.2007 at Mumbai

Received Corporate Citizen Award for the year 2006 by Economic Times of India on 27.10.2007 at Mumbai on behalf of Sankara Nethralaya

Recipient of Sun Life Time Achievement Award given by Bank of Baroda on 20.7.2008 at Mumbai

Recipient of Dr K V Thiruvengadam Award for Health Care for the year 2008-09 in Chennai on 15.10.2008, Medical Excellence Award function by Priya Vison, Chennai

Shri V Krishnamurthy Award for Excellence by Centre for Organization Development (2009)

Received the Life Time Achievement Awards from Madras City Ophthalmological Association on 29.11.2009 and was The Chairman of The Telehealth Society of India

Recipient of CNBC TV - 18 India Business Leader Awards at Durbar Hall, Taj Palace Hotel on 3.12.2009 S P Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi

Life Time Achievement Award by FICCI on 20.2.2010, Felicitated by The Rotary Club of Chennai Galaxy in Chennai on 27.6.2010

Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by University of Missouri, USA

Public Service Excellence Award by All India Management Association on 21.2.2011

Lifetime achievement award by M V Hospital for Diabetes on 13.3.2011

Received “Seva Rathna” award from Srirangan Srimad Andavan Ashramam on 10.4.2011

“Life Time Achievement Award by AIOS at Cochin on 2.2.2012

“Sat Paul Mittal National Award 2012” by Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust at Ludhiana on 17.11.2012

Life Time Achievement Award by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) on 3.12.12 in Chennai

He was the Honorary Ophthalmic Surgeon to the President of India.

He is a consultant in ophthalmology to the Armed Forces of India and a non-official member of the Armed Forces Medical Research committee.

The Lions Club and the Rotarians have also honoured him in many occasions.

Doyen of Madras Award on 29.8.2013.

Dr S S Badrinath has many scientific publications to his credit and works hard even today at the age of 73 for a brighter tomorrow for Sankara Nethralaya and Ophthalmology in India.

Dr S S Badrinath will be honoured Living Legend Award by the President of India on 14.12.2013.

All his staff and doctors are says Dr S S Badrinath is not only Living Legend also Loving Legend to all.

 

He is the modest doctor with a great vision and morever he is an excellent human being

Monday, December 2, 2013

Sankara Nethralaya ONGC Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, will hold a symposium on genetic counselling and gene testing, on December 21.


The Hindu News :

Sankara Nethralaya ONGC Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, will hold a symposium on genetic counselling and gene testing, on December 21.

The focus of this seminar is to spread awareness about genetic counselling and gene testing among students, research scholars, scientists, clinicians and counsellors who are involved in healthcare.

The programme will delve into areas such as the existing system of genetic counselling in India, current trends of molecular diagnosis and the clinical significance of gene testing through lectures.

For details and to register, log on to: www.thesnacademy.ac.in or contact Dr. A. Jayamuruga Pandian at 044-42271807.

One day Symposium On Genetic Counseling and Gene Testing


The Sankara Nethralaya Academy
&

Vision Research Foundation, Chennai

Is organizing

One day Symposium On Genetic Counseling and Gene Testing on 21st December 2013

 

Introduction:

Sankara Nethralaya ONGC Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology at the institution under Vision Research Foundation (VRF) had its humble beginning as a Cytogenetics laboratory in the year 1993. Since then it has achieved rapid growth with state of art facility and infrastructure performing extensive research in the field of ocular genetics.

 

Our areas of expertise include gene mapping by classical linkage analysis, genome wide & candidate gene association studies and functional characterization of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying ophthalmic disorders. It's been 20 years since the department is established and we take great pleasure to commemorate this occasion by conducting a symposium called 'SN Genetics' annually, starting from 2013, with a current theme as 'Genetic counseling and Gene testing'.

 

The focus of this seminar is to spread awareness on genetic counseling and gene testing among the Students, Research scholars, Scientists, Clinicians and Counselors who are involved in health care. The program would be emphasizing on areas such as the existing system of genetic counseling in India, current trends of molecular diagnosis and the clinical significance of gene testing through eminent lectures.

 

Targeted Participants

 

• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

• Research scholars

• Scientists

• Professionals

• Clinicians

• Counselors (with interest or focus on Human Genetics)

 

 

Topics and Discussion

  • Genetic Counseling in INDIA: Present scenario or how do we take it forward "
  • Genetic counseling – an overview.
  • Ophthalmic clues in genetic disorders: role in counselling and prenatal diagnosis"
  • Molecular diagnostics in developmental diseases of the eye.
  • Molecular diagnostics in retinal degenerative diseases
  • Social and rehabilitation counseling
  • The missing links in genetic diagnosis –an ophthalmologist’s role.
  • Diagnosis and management of inherited retinal dystrophies – present status and future strategies.
  • Ocular gene therapeutics – an update
  • Whole Mitochondrial Genome Sequencing in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma using the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine
  • Genetics of Diabetes Mellitus.
  • Information management for Genetics Lab
  • Special investigations at SNSC Clinical Laboratory in Sankara Nethralaya.

This highly interactive seminar would also witness in-depth presentations on the topics by experts and respective industry leaders

 

It would be of great value to have you and few of your interested colleagues in this symposium.

 

Symposium details and registration details will be available at our website: http://www.thesnacademy.ac.in and

 

For Details & Registration contact:

Dr.A.Jayamuruga Pandian,

Head and Reader & Organizing Secretary

Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology,

Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya,

Phone No.: 42271807

Email id: drajp@snmail.org