Sankara Nethralaya

Sankara Nethralaya (SN) is a not-for-profit missionary institution for ophthalmic care (i.e., an eye hospital) in Chennai, India. In "Sankara Nethralaya" Sankara is a reference to Adi Shankaracharya and Nethralaya means "The Temple of the Eye". Sankara Nethralaya receives patients from India and internationally.

Nani A. Palkivala, former Indian ambassador to United States, described Sankara Nethralaya as the "Best managed charitable organization in India". Sankara Nethralaya has 1000 employees and serves 1200 patients per day, performing 100 surgeries per day. The annual revenue as per the taxes is close to US$100 million.

In 1976 when addressing a group of doctors, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, the Sankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam spoke of the need to create a hospital. On the command of Dr. Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath, with a group of philanthropists founded a charitable not-for-profit eye hospital. In a solemn function held at the premises of the Vijaya Hospital with Semmangudi Srinivasa Aiyer offering the prayer, Dr. T Agarwal inaugurated the project.

On the auspicious day of Vinayaka Chaturthi, 6 September 1978, the hospital came into existence. It was named Sankara Nethralaya, which means "The Temple of the Eye".

Today Sankara Nethralaya has its services running at five locations in Chennai and has services at Mukundapur in Kolkata, Hebbal in Bengaluru, Rameshwaram and Tirupati in Andhra Pradeshhas plans to expand in more states and possibly other countries.

Sankara Nethralaya has fellowships in Vitreo Retina, Glaucoma, Cornea etc. BS Optometry, MSMLT and Ophthalmic Nursing courses are run here in collaboration with BITS Pilani.

Sankara Nethralaya has been branching out very fast recently. Apart from the five centres in Chennai and in Kolkata and Rameswaram, the hospital is now present in Bengaluru, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh as TTD Sri Srinivasa Sankara Nethralaya.

Branches

The Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre at Sankara Nethralaya offers free services to economically weaker sections.

Apart from receiving patients from all over the country, Sankara Nethralaya renders service to international patients including the US, UK and Bangladesh.

Sri C U Shah Eye Bank started functioning in Sankara Nethralaya in September 1979. The department of Medical Sociology was established in 1990 with the aim of promoting awareness on eye donation by educating and motivating the public for this noble cause.

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