Renowned vitreoretinal surgeon Dr SS Badrinath, the founder of Sankara Nethralaya, one of India’s largest charitable eye hospitals, passed away at the age of 83. He died at his residence on Tuesday. Here are five key points about Dr SS Badrinath:
1. Dr Badrinath was born on February 24, 1940, in Triplicane, Chennai. He completed his medical studies at Madras Medical College. He further pursued his post-graduate studies in Ophthalmology at Grassland Hospital, New York University, and Brooklyn Eye and Ear Infirmary between 1963 and 1968.
2. During his time in the US, Dr Badrinath met Dr Vasanthi. A year later, he began working at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston under Dr Charles L Schepens until 1970. At the same time, he successfully passed the examination for the Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Canada) and the American Board Examination in Ophthalmology.
3. In 1970, Dr Badrinath returned to India with his family. He worked as a consultant at the Voluntary Health Services in Adyar for six years. He then established his private practice in ophthalmology and vitreoretinal surgery at H.M. Hospital (1970 to 1972) and Vijaya Hospital, Chennai (1973 to 1978).
4. In 1978, Dr Badrinath founded the Medical Research Foundation, which houses Sankara Nethralaya as its hospital unit. The foundation is a registered society and a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to ophthalmic research. Over the next 24 years, Dr Badrinath and his colleagues provided affordable and high-quality eye care, while also training ophthalmologists and paramedical personnel to combat blindness in India. They focused on finding sustainable indigenous solutions for eye care problems through research.
5. Dr SS Badrinath’s philanthropic efforts were recognized by the Government of India. He was honored with the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards, which are the third and fourth highest civilian honors in the country, respectively.
Dr SS Badrinath’s contributions to the field of ophthalmology and his dedication to providing accessible eye care will leave a lasting impact on the lives of many.
