OPHTHALMOLOGY

The Department has a separate operation theatre with an operating microscope and facilities such as,

The Department has also collaborated with the Mini Health Centres operated in collaboration with the VHS-MAC Institute of Community Health. This made a noticeable impact on the curable blind people of the community and set a benchmark for other organisations to follow. WHO launched cataract surgery with IOL implantation much later, which has since been accepted as the method of choice by the Central and State Government. This programme has been the flagship programme done in association with the Sathya Sai Samithi for more than 15 years and is still an on-going programme.

Apart from the curative side, the Department has, since 2011, launched a major initiative to prevent blindness resulting from glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. VHS has launched the VHS-MAC Choodamani Blindness Prevention Project at Sholinganallur in 2012.So far, about 500 people in the community have been screened and appropriate measures have been instituted for them.

The department is supported by various philanthropists for funding cataract surgeries and vitro retinal surgeries for the poor patients. During the year, Rotary club of Madras, South Trust had funded 10 retinal surgeries.67 patients were benefitted through OCT investigations using the endowment funds of The Hindu Group and 6 patients were benefitted through B scan using the endowment funds of Pavithra Kotha Vijayakumar Memorial fund.