Photos of A Mahalingam,Academic officer,The Sankara Nethralaya Academy, Medical Research Foundation.Chennai

Photos of A Mahalingam,Academic officer

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy, Medical Research Foundation.Chennai

Profile of A Mahalingam,Academic officer,The Sankara Nethralaya Academy, Medical Research Foundation.The Sankara Nethralaya Academy, Medical Research Foundation., Chennai

 

A Mahalingam

Academic officer

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy, Medical Research Foundation.

Shri A.Mahalingam, Academic officer with the Sankara Nethralaya Academy best exemplifies the essence, ethos and spirit of Sankara Nethralaya. Having been associated with the organization for more than two decades, since its early years he has seamlessly integrated with its value sets and goals.

Shri A Mahalingam brings along with him a broad spectrum knowledge and understanding acquired through his numerous academic accomplishments, his own keen observation and innate understanding of people and processes acquired through real time experience and an incredible grasp of ground realities. While his deep understanding of Sankara Nethralaya’s functioning and the challenges before it make him a fine fit for any role in the organization, he has been assigned the major challenge of nurturing the Sankara Nethralaya Academy as an educational institution par excellence and carve a niche for it in academic circles.

Shri Mahalingam introduced many innovations and processes that brought his stamp of individuality and contributed to the enhancement and growth of every department he served and his known among his colleagues as a man with a vision, a man who leads from the front and a man who sets targets through his personal example.

His current role demands his involvement in every sphere of the Sankara Nethralaya Academy’s functioning, from developing curriculum, supporting faculty members, administrative staff, guiding students, counseling students seeking admission, forging alliances with external institutions and creating a high level of awareness about the institution and its courses in academic circles and among the general public. Given his flair for academics and interpersonal skills, the role fits him perfectly and the academy has made impressive strides under his able leadership.

While we could go on a lengthy description on his knowledge, skills, accomplishments as a professional and his personal traits as a warm, caring and unassuming individual and his numerous his contributions to the growth of Sankara Nethralaya, we would say that it is his dedication, perseverance, accessibility and sincerity in completing the task in hand that has helped him scale glorious heights in his career.

 The depth of his involvement and the quality of his work can be best brought by the spontaneous and full hearted approbation that he has received from just about everyone he has interacted with during his long tenure with Sankara Nethralaya, ranging from the top management members to distinguished personalities from all walks of life.

 

Academics:

¨       Diploma in Training & Development – 2010( ISTD, Chennai)

¨       PG Diploma in Operation Management, IGNOU, 2010

¨       Master of Business Administration (Hospital Management) - Alagappa University, Karaikudi.

¨       Bachelor of Science in   Ophthalmic Assistant (BS OA) -Distinction Division from Birla Institute of Technology and Science -      BITS, Pilani.

¨       Diploma in Ophthalmic Nursing Assistant - Distinction Division from Medical Research Foundation & Constoga College,  Ontario, Canada.

¨       Bachelor of Science in Mathematics , University of Madras.Chennai

¨       Diploma in Computer Applications Amirta Institute of Computer Technology (AICT), Chennai.

¨       Certified Internal Auditor for ISO 9000:1994 quality Systems -BVQI (Bureau Veritas Quality International)

Awards/ Recognitions / Appreciations:

¨    Man of the Year from Sankara Nethralaya for exceptional services rendered – 2011.

¨    Appreciation and award received from Chennai Mayor at the Science City festival – Jan 2012.

¨    20 years – long serving award from Sankara Nethralaya – 2012.

¨    Special Recognition Award received for exceptional services rendered for the organization – 2010.

¨    Outstanding Employee Award of the Foundations (MRF & VRF), Chennai for the exceptional services rendered for the patients – 1998.

¨    Memento Presented to the Chief Guest of the “Sankara Ratna award”organized by Sankara Nethralaya with the presence of His Holiness Sri Jeyendra Saraswathi Swamigal- 2002.

¨    An Appreciation received from Sankara Nethralaya for maximum Number of Eye donation pledges collected during the year – 1999 – 2000.

¨    Actively participated the FRCS Examination organization Committee to conduct FRCS examinations at Sankara Nethralaya, India – 1999, 2000 & 2001.

¨    An appreciation Note received for completing the “Donation Computerization Project” from Medical Research Foundation – 2000.

¨    Many Appreciations from Patients / Sankara Nethralaya for exceptional services rendered / organized.

Articles / Publications:

•   Article written on “Care of Surgical Instruments” in Scientific Magazine of  

       Medical Research Foundation – 2003.

•   Article written on “Needle Stick Injuries & Prevention” in Scientific Magazine of

       Medical Research Foundation – 2003.

•  Article written in Health Watch of HINDU on “ Aging Changes of Eye” – 2004 

          (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2004/06/27/stories/2004062700340600.htm)

• Article written on “ Post Operative care for Eye Surgery”

      (http://www.sankaranethralaya.org/poc.htm).

    He can be contacted at his e mail: mahali@snmail.org / 0 97104 85295(Mobile)

Native of : Thuttampatty Village, Tharamangalm, Salem Dist , Pincode 636 502

Studied at : S M H S School,  Tharamangalm, Salem Dist , Pincode 636 502

An Appreciation from Dr Anita Gupta,Rajasthan to Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mr Mahalingam, 

Congratulations on the Man of the Year Award Announcement!! It is very well deserved and it is good that it is recognized. When my husband and I visited Shankara Nethralaya so many years ago my husband had undergone a cataract surgery. My husband was just a patient. We had gone to you with some query; I don't remember now what it was. But we do remember the great care you took to give us an answer. You also gave us your visiting card in case we had any questions in future. It shows your care and understanding. From time to time you send us the latest advances in Shankara Nethralaya. We share it with our firends and we know that if anyone from here wants to go for treatment to Shankara Nethralaya we can always give your reference to be assured of the best of  guidance.

Congratulations again! Mr Mahalingam -Warm wishes, Dr Anita Gupta,Rajasthan

An Appreciation from the Visionary of the Vision - Dr S S Badrinath to A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

My Dear Shri Mahali, since you are already a super star, I would love to call you as super duper. It only carries a good meaning and in American terms it means a man who is capable of achieving his goals. Hearty Congratulations for this award. Best wishes,

With Love -SSB

Dr.S.S.Badrinath

President & Chairman - Emeritus
Sankara Nethralaya,18 College Road
Chennai . 600 006

wishes from Prof M S Swaminathan,Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) to A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mr Mahalingam ,

 

Please accept my congratulations on your receiving the Man of the Year Award. I wish you continued good health and happiness.With warm personal regards,

Yours sincerely,
Prof M S Swaminathan
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)
Chairman, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation,Third Cross Street, Taramani Institutional Area,Chennai - 600 113 (India)

An Appreciation from Hospital Management delegate - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mr.Mahalingam,  Thank you very much for sharing this session plan ahead for us to come up with related clarifications. Fantastic co-ordination and quicker update of yours simply great.Hope others who appearing for these session might known about Dr.Sumanth Raman by profession as most of our participants attending this course are from healthcare industry. Really am so glad after seeing his complete profile, i could recollect his face and the way he presenting the BSNL sports quiz. The speed of answering, attending those callers over the phone, managing the show is so superb. Am sure this week session will be of sparkling session. Thank you for inviting such speakers / presenters. Thanks once again to you and whole TSNA. Cheers!Thanks and Regards, Rajan C( MMA & TSNA – Participant

An Appreciation from Management Guru - Dr T V Subramanian to A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mahalingam,

 

I was deeply impressed by the commitment of you and your team and the meticulous care you are taking to ensure that the programme goes on well. I think SN is fortunate to have such a dedicated team and I know fully well you are all inspired by  the Vision and Dedication of Dr. SSB who is the role model for all professionals including me.

 

My best wishes to the Academy  in its pursuit of Quality education and Training to  all Medical professionals all.  Thanks for enclosing the photographs. I will keep the books ready and inform you. With warm regards – TVS.(06.11.2011)

Greetings and Appreciation from D. Samuel Abraham, Sr. Law Officer.CMC , vellore - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mahali,

I am very much impressed upon the way in which the Sankara Nethralaya Academy is being founded and run by people like you with sacrificial minds.  I have gone through the literature you have given to me and have understood how the small idea came to Dr. Badrinath has grown like a big tree to protect and safeguard millions of people with their vision.  I have also visited all your places in the Academy and found that they are with the state-of-the-Art. 

 

I was also very much impressed and happy to see Kotteswari, a girl from a most backward area, now shining as a star in your Academy. Thank you for your courtesy and the chance you have given to me to meet your participants. You can always contact me at any time for any help which will be done by me with great joy and pleasure.

 

I have also a suggestion that all the resource persons you have invited for giving lecture can be convened in a get-together with the participants, especially in the final stage of the Course, so that they can clear their doubts and get a solution for many issues which may crop up in between the lecture and the completion of the course. 

 

It will be a very good interaction within the resource persons, which will make them to feel that they are contributing to the institution in a better way and enhance the fellowship between us.

 

With regards,       

D. Samuel Abraham, Sr. Law Officer.CMC , vellore,21 Nov 2011 02

Wishes form CMC Vellore, HR Head to A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai

Dear Mahali :

That is lovely. Congrats – Dr SSB.  Thank you very much for the hospitality shown during our visit to your hospital. We are very much touched and inspired by the way you & your team work in the Hospital. From the visit, our students learned many insights especially working towards the mission with full commitment. We extend our hearty gratitude to each and every staff working in your Hospital especially the people who took efforts to explain the functions of their department. I specially thank you and your colleague Mrs. Sreedevi for making our trip a successful one. Samuel N.J. David, Sr. Manager (Mgt. Studies & H.R.) & Head, CMC, vellore , 18.11.11.

Congratulations to Mr A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Shri Mahalingam Sir,

I have seen many people in my 30++ years of working life both in India & Malaysia and yet to see a person with 100 % dedication like yourself Mahali sir, so what your boss said is all correct. As the late PM of India said there is no substitute for hard work (Mrs Gandhi).Just one word of caution that is make your wife & children happy the blessing you get from them go a thousand miles.- Mr Selvanathan – Sr Professor – Malaysia.

An Appreciation from Lion Lasantha Perera, - Srilanka,Vice District to Mr A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mr. Mahalingam,

I consider it a great opportunity to have visited your Hospital Sankara Nethralaya.I was able to gather lot of knowledge and experience with regard to day to day activities of a Hospital and its management. I am very much indebted to you for the support and cooperation extended to me during my short stay at your hospital. You were there with me right throughout my stay helping me in all activities and providing me with all required facilities. The other members of the hospital staff too were very cooperative. Shall remain thanking you once again for your kind cooperation and assistance for me to get a thorough knowledge with regard to management and other activities of a hospital. 

 

With kind regards   ,Lion Lasantha Perera, - Srilanka,Vice District.

An Appreciation from Malaysian Student - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mr Mahalingam Sir,

First of all, i wish to thank everyone in Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital, Academy and the management teams. All of you had helps us a lot in the accommodation, foods as well as our training and learning. I really learned a lot in this 4 months training, i dare to say that, i might learned more than what i learned in 4 years time. I love the library the most, the environment of study and materials of learning always there to clear my doubt. Sankara Nethralaya really gives me a good environment of learning and the oppoturnity of practising. The supervisors is always there for us. The knowledge and experience is always there, just see how much we are abble to grab. Honestly, i really enjoyed these 4 months posting a lot. These experinces would be my most memorable and valuable gift in my life. During my 4 months posting, i started to think about my future, should i go to the contribute part or earning money part??? I think i already found my answer after seeing what the Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital had contributed and provided to the community and the people.

 

These concepts will be leading me for the rest of my life.. Thanks a lot to Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital. Thousand thanks to all of you..

 

Mr Kee Wai - Malaysia

An appreciation for mr Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mr Mahalingam, Thank you most sincerely for all the assistance given to our Staff during the training at Sankara Nethralaya.  The training received at Sankara Nethralaya will no doubt be most useful and valuable to the Staff of our newly opened “Nethsetha” Lions Vision for Sight Hospital. We are extremely grateful to PDG Raghunathan for his generosity and help. Please convey our sincere gratitude and thanks to all those who assisted our Staff during their training period. Thanks and warm regards,

Dr Asoka de Z. Gunasekera CHAIRMAN – LIONS VISION FOR SIGHT HOSPITAL TRUST (RATNAPURA – SRI LANKA)

Insight of Sankara Nethralaya -A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

A fascinating Insight of Sankara Nethralaya (Biography) now available as a great literary work! Giving you a wonderful reading experience and a great donation option! (Sale proceeds of the book go towards eye care for the poor and needy) : Contact Information for further details: Shri M. Senthilnathan, Telephone: 044-28254177 / E-Mail: msn@snmail.org

Sankara Nethralaya Visit Report by Ms: Pracheta Mehtaji - Medical Student from Hong Kong - by A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Dear Mr. Mahalingam,

Just got back to Hong Kong after a wonderful 15 days at Sankara Nethralaya. It was an amazing experience as not only did I learn about opthalmology, community service, patient care but could also do some volunteering work which was quite satisfying. I will always cherish the moments and will definitely visit Sankara Nethralaya on my next trip to Chennai to meet you all. Everything was so well organised! Everyone was so friendly and caring. Thanks a lot for arranging a meet with the Malysian students, I have taken their contact details so will be keeping in touch with them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Shivkumar sir, Dr. Sheila and Pearlson sir for making my volunteership/observership most enjoyable and memorable.

I will be sending you the photos we took with Dr. Badrinath this week and will also send the report fter submitting it to the university.

Have a great weekend.
Thanking you,
Kind Regards,
Pracheta

Sahiti Avula, The Harker School,Sankara Nethralaya Report - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Sahiti Avula, The Harker School,Sankara Nethralaya Report: June 29, 2012

 

Dear Mr Mahalingam

I don’t think I can express in words how nervous I was the day before I visited the Sankara Nethralaya Academy. As a 15 year old girl who has not tried many things out of her comfort zone, I was certain this would be a great challenge. I had heard many great things about this foundation from my parents, and although one part of me wanted to see what this program was like, another part of me was very apprehensive. This was the first time I visited Chennai, the weather was hot, and in addition I did not know a single word of Tamil. So to sum it up, I was almost 100% sure that I would be extremely uncomfortable both socially and physically. What I actually experienced was in fact the exact opposite of what I had predicted, and I’m still laughing at myself for feeling like I would be out of place, because I’ve realized at Sankara Nethralaya, it is impossible for anyone to feel out of place. My parents and I were greeted by a warm smile from Mr. Sivakumar in the PR department the very moment we walked in and enjoyed the hospital tour led by Ms. Sreedevi and Mr. Mahalingam, who had sacrificed their entire day just for us. When we went to meet Dr. Badrinath, the chairman emeritus, I noticed how simple and humble he was, and I knew right away I had come to an amazing place. The rest of the week I worked at the JCOC with Ms. Kumari, an excellent refractionist, and I really appreciated that she took the time to explain to me everything she was doing to the patient. Mr. Sivakumar at the JCOC also inspired me to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor and he would always encourage me. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and I made friends easily. The next week when I visited the Teleophthalmology center, Dr. Sheila John made sure I got the best opportunities. Dr. Sheila John was extremely hospitable and ensured that I was comfortable and ate well. She also explained about the goal of the department in reaching out patients across India, Africa and Europe as well as the research that is currently ongoing to serve patients in remote areas even more efficiently by applying mobile phone technology. She introduced me to her staff of optometrists, and they were very friendly and hard-working. I went to Thiruvallur on a camp with them and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I’ve fallen in love with this wonderful foundation, and I promised myself that I would come back year after year and contribute as much as possible.

The first and most interesting place I saw was the JCOC. On my very first day, I was awed by the organized process every patient went through. The first test I saw was the DBR test. A patient was undergoing this test so the doctor could find out the power of the intraocular lenses. I observed that the patients were of limited financial resources, many were illiterate and several did not even have slippers on. I was so happy that Sankara Nethralaya was doing something so big for the patients who did not have anything to give to them in return. Ms. Kumari told me that 80% of the patients that visit are for cataract surgery because the cataracts easily form with aging. I also learned the names of all of the machines. When I used to go for regular eye tests in California, I never really knew what I would always put my chin on and press my forehead against. I know now that it is the digital biometer, and it is connected to the computer. Ms. Kumari explained to me that the scanning of the eye was called the A-scan and the ultrasound is used in this scan. The auto refractometer determines the power of the patients’ eyes so the doctor can find out the lense required. She explained to me that glaucoma is a silent killer of the eye and I was even able to look at a few patients who unfortunately had it. I was also fortunate enough to meet two wonderful interns, Pradipta and Usha, who let me examine the patients with them. The patients spoke Tamil, Telugu, or Hindi, so the optometrists were also required to know those three languages very well. On my second day, I saw a little boy whose right eye had been badly bruised by a ball a year ago. At that time, the doctors removed the foreign body in his eye by doing an intraocular surgery and he was told to come back after a year. His eye was much better and he was extremely happy. Every patient has their own file and the doctors have a very organized way of entering the information in and then converting it to a huge graph. 90% of the patients that come for cataract surgery have high blood pressure. Because a lot of the general health factors also affect the eyes, the cataracts are easily formed. Ms. Kumari showed me a fully-matured cataract in the eye of an older lady. The cataract had covered the entire eye and it looked like a mixture of green and brown. She was not even able to see how many fingers the refractionist held up just 15 cm away from her. I saw another lady whose cornea was thinning. An optometrist shined a flashlight into her eye and showed me the cornea. They ask the patient to look at a fixed point (the wall or their finger) and they take a tube-like device to measure the pressure of the eye. I watched Ms. Kumari first put some eye drops in the patients’ eyes and then run the device over their cornea. The device was connected to the computer, and it kept track of everything. The doctor held a knob which was attached to the digital biometer and nudges it forward. Each time it was nudged, a beeping sound was made, and this was the sound of the computer collecting the results from the device. I was amazed at all of the wonderful technology being used and the next time I visit, I would love to take a closer look at all of the machines. The patients need to get this procedure done so that they can report for their operation the next day. Before they sit down in front of the digital biometer, drops are put in their eyes. I thought that this was to clean or dilate their eyes. I observed that most of the patients had trouble following simple instructions like looking at a fixed point or opening and closing their eyes when they were told to. Because they came from remote areas, they did not understand what was going on and were not able to do what the doctors told them to. The optometrists often had to work hard to make the patients comply with the instructions. These patients were encouraged by the hope of glasses, and I could tell by the expressions on their faces that they were eager to be treated and cured. Even when the patients were speaking Tamil, I was able to understand a little bit of what they were saying because Tamil sounded so much like my mother tongue, Telugu. My highlight of that week was writing down information from the patients’ personal files to the huge graph where all the details were written down on. It was part of the clearance for surgery and I wrote down all the values for the DBR, including the K1, K2, K3, K4, AxL1, AxL2, age, sex, name, and identification number. The only things I was asked not to take note of were ACD, lens thickness, SRKII, EMM, and -1.00. I really liked doing that job for Ms. Kumari, because I was able to see what exactly is most important about the patients’ eyes before their surgeries are done. I also learned that "pseudophilic" meant that the patient had already undergone surgery in that area. I had to write pseudophilic for some of the slots in K3 and K4 because the patient has already been treated in those areas.

I noticed the next day that many of the patients had orange or yellow bands wrapped around their hands. Also for some patients, the optometrist asks them to read a certain line in a book instead of looking at the wall and reading the letters off of it. This was obviously to test near and far-sightedness. Most of the patients were myopic. I was also introduced to another machine which showed the optometrist the zoomed in version of the eye, but the other side looked just like a digital biometer with a screen that the patients are told to look into. I thought it was really fascinating how people came up with the structure for these machines. One of the things I found most interesting about this entire experience was getting to know the life of the patient. In a report I read, it said that 91.9% of the patients’ lives are much better after they had been treated. I saw a little girl who looked as if she was in about 5^{th or 6th grade walk in with her father. He was complaining because she would get scolded at school for not being able to read properly. She needed treatment very quickly. Later, Pradipta explained to me that rotitary nystagmus was her condition. She spent most of her time at the autorefractometer, because they needed to first determine the power of her eyes in order to get her treated as quickly as possible. The youngest patient I saw was a little girl named Swathi who was unfortunately suffering from the squint eye. I saw Kavitha, a senior optometrist, take care of her. Before a patient was tested, a pH solution was put in their eye so the doctor can see clearly. Because some of the patients’ eyes are extremely sensitive to the light, they wear sun glasses to protect them from the harsh light. If the patient has a fully matured cataract, the autorefractometer is supposed to inform the doctor the size of the cataract so that they can make new lenses for them and also be able to remove the cataract.}

My first day at the teleophthalmology center, I learned a lot. An optometrist, Pearlson Prabhu, patiently explained to me the possible diseases or problems which could occur in the eye, and explained to me very well the process every patient went through for their check-up. When I went to the camp at Thiruvallur with them the next day, I saw that the conditions were much worse than the conditions I had observed at the JCOC. Most of the patients in the village were physically or mentally challenged, and of course that was the reason that they could not travel to the JCOC for their check-up. There were four different stations, and I sat at the very last one, the counseling department with one of Dr. Sheila John’s optometrists. Since I already saw how the registration, slit lamp, and autorefractometer worked, I thought the counseling station would be the best use of my time. To my surprise, most of the patients spoke Telugu, not Tamil. I saw that most of the cases were cataracts and were caused because of lack of general health, high blood pressure, and diabetes (diabetic retinopathy). Some people from SCOPE were also there observing, helping, and taking pictures. The process was simple- first; the patient went to the registration and signed in. Then, they were led to the slit-lamp and went through a few simple tests that would be easy for them to follow. After that, they went to the auto refractometer where an optometrist determined the power of each of their eyes. Lastly, they proceed to the counseling department where an optometrist tells them exactly what their condition is, and what steps they have to take next. If they require surgery and do not have BP (which I noticed was pretty rare), they will be given a card that they can bring with them to the JCOC the following week. If they have a cataract and require surgery, but unfortunately have BP, they have to stay in the village because an operation will further deteriorate their health. If they do not require surgery at all, the optometrist will give glasses or medicine and then let them leave. Usually the majority of the patients require surgery because they live in a remote area and a good hygiene is very difficult for them to keep. When we came back from the camp, Pearlson showed me the EMR and how and what information was entered into the graphs. These were important medical records and he helped me understand how the entire process works. He also showed me the teleopthalmology website and I’m so happy that even when I go back to California, I will be able to go through the website and discover new things which interest me. I could go on to write an entire novel about how much I was able to learn in just two weeks and I now know that the next time I come to India, I will definitely set aside at least a month to come back and learn more.

On my very last day, I was taken to a room in the main building where the optometrists injected a special red dye into the patient and looked at their cornea. The red dye helped the optometrist to see the exact blood vessels in the eye. They projected them onto a the screen of a big computer so that the could look carefully at any abrasions or damages. I saw three patients undergo this test and I noticed that there were many problems with how they behaved. They were not supposed to eat anything an hour before the test because then they would feel giddy and throw up. The second patient threw up because she ate just 30 minutes before they injected the dye into her.

Before I left, I made plan with Dr. Sheila John to do an iPhone project during this next year so that I can come back next summer for a few weeks and present my data. I would also like to explore more ideas in the Teleophthalmology area because it really interests me, and I really enjoy working with Dr. Sheila John.

Meanwhile during my first night in Chennai, I had slept with my contact lenses on, my cornea had some abrasions in it, and I became a patient here! Dr. RDB patiently examined my eyes several times during the week and gave me some eye drops along with a prescription for glasses so I did not have to wear my contact lenses too often. I am actually glad I was registered as a patient although I had really come to volunteer because it helped me understand the process so much better.

Although none of these patients could pay for their treatment and were uneducated, the doctors treated them with as much respect and care as some of the richest patients who came in to be tested. The friendly and hospitable attitude of the doctors and the optometrists really impressed and inspired me, and I realized why Sankara Nethralaya had such an excellent reputation. I’ve whole-heartedly enjoyed every minute I’ve spent here and I will never forget the kind people I met. In this prestigious foundation, there was not a single optometrist or doctor who did not treat every patient like family, something that I would also do if I were a doctor. Throughout these two weeks, I was able to understand that Sankara Nethralaya’s mission is not to bring themselves money and fame, but to give people from around India one of the most priceless gifts possible- the gift of vision.

A Student of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North in New Jersey, USA - A Mahalingam , Sankara Nethralaya

A Testimonial from Mr Kesav Prasad

A Student of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North in New Jersey, USA

As a result of my three weeks in the Sankara Nethralaya research building, I gained great insight into the procedures behind medical research. The time I spent at the hospital may be the greatest persuasion that medical research is an exciting, noble profession.

I came to the understanding that Sankara Nethralaya’s Vision Research Foundation is geared entirely toward the future of medical research. Many of the genetic illnesses that patients have are assessed with the understanding that in the near future, Sankara Nethralaya will be able to treat them.

I noticed that a patient attending genetic counseling was told that the cure to the illness that was ruining his eyesight was in preclinical trials and that he should expect gene therapy within his lifetime. In biochemistry, too, I was awed by the promising future of medical research, as I learned that equipment has recently allowed such prompt diagnosis of systemic illnesses. I watched as, in a matter of minutes, a patient was diagnosed with diabetes. The possibility of increasingly early screening is impressive. In addition, the ever-increasing precision with which the Bioinformatics department can simulate interactions at the molecular level seems to promise faster and faster discoveries.

Sankara Nethralaya has an eye on the patients of today and an eye on the patients of the future with its Vision and Medical Research Foundations, and I am grateful to its entire knowledgeable staff for their expert instruction in acquainting me with the exciting realities of medical research.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Keshav Prasad
kprasad795@gmail.com

A Session By A Mahalingam

A Session By A Mahalingam

Mr A Mahalingam, Academic Officer, Sankara Nethralaya is receiving the Man of Year for best outstanding performances from Sri V Kalyanam – Chief Guest of the Function & From Dr S S Badrinath

Independence Day celebrations 2011 – Sankara Nethralaya

Man of the year award function

Mr A Mahalingam, Academic Officer, Sankara Nethralaya is receiving the Man of Year for best outstanding performances from Sri V Kalyanam – Chief Guest of the Function & From Dr S S Badrinath

It was a memorable Independence Day celebration for the Sankara Nethralaya family, the presence, reminiscences and impassioned speech by veteran freedom fighter Shri V.Kalyanam who served as personal assistant to the Mahatma during the most tumultuous times in recent history, a welcome speech by Dr TS Surendran interspersed with his characteristic humour, Dr Pratik Ranjan Sen’s spirited speech in honour of the Chief guest, a peace invoking song by SWAN volunteers Ms Hema and Ms Bala and little Nittesh Chandran’s violin solo of Gandhiji’s favourite ‘Raghupathi Raghava Rajaram ’captured the spirit of  Independence and made the day for all those assembled.

The day also marked the recognition and honouring of individual and team performances at work and play. Mr. A Mahalingam, Academic Officer of The  Sankara Nethralaya  Academ was  awarded the best man of the year. Dr S.Pradeep concluded the proceedings with laudatory observations of the distinguished chief guest and a note of thanks to the dignitaries, organizers, staff and the catering service. Dr S S Badrinath – Founder & President of Sankara Nethralaya, Dr Vasanthi Badrinath and Board members of Sankara Nethralaya  and academy were present during the function.

A Mahalingam was awarded for my service recognition during our Friends of Sankara Nethralaya Award ceremony on 04.08.2012.Getting an award from the Chief Guest of the event – Dr Nalli Kuppuswami Chettiyar and Dr S S Badrinath – Chief and founder of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai

A Mahalingam was awarded for my service recognition during our Friends of Sankara Nethralaya Award ceremony on 04.08.2012.Getting an award from the Chief Guest of the event – Dr Nalli Kuppuswami Chettiyar and Dr S S Badrinath – Chief and founder of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai

MMA–TSNA Hospital Management Course Outstanding - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

MMA–TSNA Hospital Management Course Outstanding

 

The first batch of students of the 10 weekend certificate program in Hospital Management conducted by the MMA&TSNA passed out successfully on 24th December 2011. The students belonging to mid and senior level management positions from a broad spectrum of health care institutions ranging from multinational diagnostic centers to multi-specialty hospitals found the course to be of great relevance to their vocation in terms of enhancing their skill sets, equipping them to handle direct and related healthcare issues and to organize their departments much better.

While the course won overall praise for its holistic approach to hospital management, in-depth, wide and well researched content and professional levels of tutoring by the faculty, TSNA staff members won praise and admiration for their efforts in making the entire learning experience very pleasant and memorable

7th batch from Twintech University completes Optometry Internship certificate course - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

7th batch from Twintech University completes Optometry Internship certificate course

 

The seventh internship certificate awarding ceremony of the students from the Twintech International University College & Technology held at the Sankara Nethralaya Academy on the 28th of March 2012 was a perfect picture of the continuing understanding and synergy between the Sankara Nethralaya Academy and the Malaysian University in taking students to the next level in their chosen vocation. The jubilant students all set for the golden hour and the equally excited members of the faculty and management of the Sankara Nethralaya Academy reflected the deep involvement and joy of both partners.

Delivering the welcome address Ms Akila Ganesan, Registrar, Sankara Nethralaya Academy expressed her joy to be present on the happy and momentous occasion, she congratulated the students completing their internship and highlighted the various options that lay ahead of them, she also gave them healthy advice on how they should always place the patient’s interest foremost before everything else. Ms. Akila Ganesan warmly welcomed and thanked the Chief Guest Dr. Haliza Abdul Mutalib, Head and Associate Professor from the Universiti of Kebangsan, Malaysia and recalled that she was instrumental in signing the MoU with Twintech University, adding that she could be the right role model for the students assembled.

Speaking on the occasion Shri S.Vishwanathan, DGM, Optometry Department highlighted the exposure that the students completing their internship, received in every major department in addition to the continuing medical education programmes and case presentation emphasizing strongly on the strict and thorough evaluation methods adopted on completion of each program. Shri Vishwanathan congratulated the students from Malaysia on their ‘Log Book’ practice and commended that this could be something we could emulate too. Speaking on behalf of the students Ms Chong Lee gave an emotional account of their experience and showered everyone at the Academy and Sankara Nethralaya with fulsome praise. Chief Guest Dr Haliza congratulated the students for coming out with flying colours and reiterating that the MoU between the two institutions was a great decision indeed, she advised the students assembled to treat knowledge and learning as tools to serve the people and promised to speak to a number of Malaysian Universities including the Toon Hussain University on the Optometry Internship program.

 

Sankara NethralayaAcademy’s fellowship course in Vision Therapy wins high praise and adulation from candidate - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Sankara Nethralaya Academy’s fellowship course in Vision Therapy wins high praise and adulation from candidate

 

Vision therapy fellowship offered by the Sankara Nethralaya Academy was successfully completed by Mr. Samuel Livingstone from Chennai. The fellowship course in Vision therapy is a six months program designed to provide intensive clinical, teaching and research experience in behavioral and developmental vision care, binocular vision, and vision therapy. Mr. Samuel was trained extensively in the Binocular Vision/ Vision therapy clinic of Sankara Nethralaya. He expressed immense satisfaction for the confidence he gained in managing a variety of binocular vision dysfunctions during the training period. As a private practitioner, this training has opened up new horizons in his primary eye care practice.

Second batch of students complete – Certificate Course in Hospital Management - A Mahalingam / Sankara Nethralaya

Second batch of students complete – Certificate Course in Hospital Management

 

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy observed its Certificate Awarding day on Saturday, 19th May 2012 at its Haddows Road premises.

The event was conducted to present Certificates to the second batch of successful candidates of the “CERTIFICATE COURSE IN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT”.

About 22 professionals serving the Health care industry at various levels had chosen to enroll in this course to enable them hone their administrative and technical skills in the workplace.

The course was scheduled on 12 weekends to suit the convenience of working students

Distributing the certificates to the successful candidates Dr. R. Karthikeyan, Director, Gemba School of HR, underlined how the course would help in refining the skills of the students thereby enhancing the performance of the health sector as a whole. He lauded the Sankara Nethralaya academy’s initiative in developing such allied courses which complemented the Health care industry vis-à-vis the well trained candidate. He gave an insightful talk on Employee retention and how such educational practices went a long way in enhancing the skills of health care professionals.

Allied courses of this kind are a great boon for health care employees who were hitherto not fully equipped with such knowledge and who had minimal exposure to such skill sets.

Shri A.Mahalingam, Academic Officer, the Sankara Nethralaya Academy, reiterated the fact that these allied courses have opened a huge gateway to certified healthcare professionals, who have an ever growing demand.

Professional Career… Choice of Health Care Education ? - A Mahalingam, Sankara Nethralaya

Professional Career… Choice of Health Care Education ?

This intriguing question puzzles both the parent and the students alike. Today’s world of education offers innumerable choices for the student to choose from. However it is the quality of education which would groom students into accomplished professionals of tomorrow.

To enhance their capabilities to choose from a wide spectrum, a vibrant course counseling session was held on Sunday, 20th May 2012 at the Sankara Nethralaya Academy premises at Haddows Road.

Dr. Karthikeyan, Director, Gemba School of HR, an eminent personality in the world of corporate training and placement, highlighted significant points on how the health care sector is currently booming and the multiple choices it offered for one to choose from and the vast scope of employment opportunities it had and the huge man power requirement in the years to come.

The counseling session had a beeline of both inquisitive parents and students seeking information on prospective avenues.

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy, a pioneer in field of professional education, in tie-up with TN Dr MGR Medical University, offers specialized courses such as the Ophthalmic Assistant course, Operation Theatre and Anesthesia Technology course, Medical Record Science course and Diploma in Nursing Aide. It also offers a three-year B.Sc (Medical Laboratory Technology) degree course and a postgraduate MBA (Hospital& Health Systems Management) programme. There is also a one-year online eMBA in Hospital Management, a certificate course in Hospital Management and from this academic year a two-year diploma in Refraction & Dispensing is slated to start.

Students eager to pursue a professional course, found the counseling to be exhaustive, throwing light on the various avenues open to them.

Shri A. Mahalingam, Academic Officer, the Sankara Nethralaya Academy, highlighted that these courses definitely gave a cutting edge to young students, who were readily absorbed into the health care industry.

 

A. Mahalingam receiving the memento from the Chennai Mayor

Shri A. Mahalingam receiving the memento from the Chennai Mayor

The Sankara Nethralaya Academy made an impressive showcase of itself and its contribution to the world of education and academia in general at the ‘Chennai Science Festival 2012’ organized jointly by the Science City, Government of Tamil Nadu and Anna University at the Arignar Anna Gem Science Park School, Chennai, from the 27th to 30th of January, 2012. The objective of the festival is to create awareness on the role of science in everyday life among the general public and the student community in particular and inculcate a scientific temper in them.

Sankara Nethralaya Academy faculty members and personnel stationed at its two stalls in the Science Festival explained the inception and achievements of the Academy, its expertise in the courses offered and their high scope to visiting students, parents and the teaching community. Shri A.Mahalingam, Academic Officer, SN Academy, welcomed and explained the objectives of the institution to distinguished visitors Shri Mayilvahanan Natarajan, Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr.MGR Medical University, Dr.Mannar Jawahar, Vice-Chancellor of the Anna University, Senior government officials and Scientists who visited the stall, he also received the participants memento from the Worshipful Mayor of Chennai Shri Saidai S. Duraiswamy on behalf of Sankara Nethralaya and the SN Academy. A proud highlight of the event was the winning of the Tamil essay contest in Science by S. Suganya, a student of the Sankara Nethralaya Academy.

Sankara Nethralaya and the Sankara Nethralaya Academy take this opportunity to express their wholehearted thanks Dr. R.Srilakshmi, Registrar, The Tamil Nadu Dr.MGR Medical University who encouraged and facilitated participation by the Sankara Nethralaya Academy in this highly prestigious Science Festival and helped in getting rich exposure to the institution and the courses offered