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Sankara Nethralaya founder Dr SS Badrinath passes away at 83
Sankara Nethralaya founder and chairman emeritus Dr SS Badrinath has passed away on Tuesday, at the age of 83.
Sankara Nethralaya founder and chairman emeritus Dr SS Badrinath passed away on Tuesday, November 21. He was 83.
Dr SS Badrinath was the founder of one of India's biggest charitable eye hospitals, Sankara Nethralaya, in Chennai. Dr Badrinath founded the organisation in 1978, after completing his studies and research overseas.
The news of Dr Badrinath's passing was confirmed by Tamil Nadu Congress vice president Rama Suganthan.
Dr SS Badrinath was considered a medical marvel who worked towards a noble cause - helping economically weaker sections of society seek free medical treatment. His organisation Sankara Nethralaya became the centre of charitable medical treatment for hundreds everyday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled Dr SS Badrinath's death, calling him a “visionary” in ophthalmology.
Who was Dr SS Badrinath?
Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath was born in a small suburb in Chennai and lost both his parents when he was still a teenager. He used the insurance money from his parents' death to pursue his passion, which was medical sciences.
He started his career from New York, interning in several opthamology centres. In 1978, Dr Badrinath and a group of doctors decided to found Sankara Nethralaya, a charitable not-for-profit eye hospital in Chennai, offering free treatment to the poor.
Around 1200 patients walk through the doors of the hospital and 100 surgeries are performed everyday for free in the eye hospital. The institute cum hospital also offers training programmes for budding eye specialists.
For his charitable works throughout the years, Dr SS Badrinath received the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri award by the Government of India, which is the third and fourth highest civilian honour in the country, respectively.
