1 2 “My light shall be in thee, my strength thy force. Let not the impatient Titan drive thy heart, Ask not the imperfect fruit, the partial prize. Only one boon, to greaten thy spirit, demand; Only one joy, to raise thy kind, desire. Above blind fate and the antagonist powers Moveless there stands a high unchanging Will; To its omnipotence leave thy work’s result. (cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:6)(cid:11)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:12)(cid:6)(cid:11)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:4)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:4)(cid:14)(cid:15)(cid:16)(cid:17)(cid:10)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:11)(cid:8)(cid:10)(cid:19)(cid:9)(cid:20)(cid:18)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:6)(cid:15)(cid:20)(cid:18)(cid:21)(cid:22) – ‘Savitri’ by Sri Aurobindo Canto IV : The Vision and the Boon CONTENTS ACTIVITY REPORT APRIL 2011 - MARCH 2012 Highlights 7 Patient Care 15 Education and Training 25 Consultancy and Capacity Building 33 Research 39 Manufacturing Ophthalmic Supplies 47 Central Functions 53 Awards and Accolades 59 Partners in Service 64 Trustees and Staff 66 Photo Credits Devi Kayalvizhi, Aravind–Tirunelveli Dr. Vivekanandan, Aravind–Madurai Jacques Vekemans, France Mike Myers, USA Priya, Aravind–Pondicherry Rajkumar, Aravind–Madurai Sasipriya, LAICO–Madurai Senthil Kumar, Aravind–Coimbatore Sukumar, Aravind–Pondicherry Suresh Kumar, Aravind–Madurai Susie Van Sickle, USA Vijayakumar, Aurolab Willie Davis, USA 3 ARAVIND EYE CARE SYSTEM VISION Eliminate needless blindness . . . MISSION PATIENT CARE . . . by providing compassionate and high quality eye care for all EDUCATION & TRAINING . . . by developing ophthalmic human resources through teaching and training CONSULTANCY & CAPACITY BUILDING . . . through capacity building, advocacy, research and publications RESEARCH . . . by providing evidence through research and evolving methods to translate existing evidence and knowledge into effective action OPHTHALMIC SUPPLIES . . . by making high quality ophthalmic products affordable and accessible to the vision impaired worldwide 5 Dr. V’s battle against needless blindness, on the one hand, is fought in hospital clinics, outreach camps, and operating rooms, where the challenges of preventable and treatable diseases are The banyan tree in front of the centre was planted by Dr. V on March 21, 2005. The tree has become the symbol of the centre, representing perpetuity of Dr. V’s daily encountered vision. The centre is named ‘Nithyatha’, the sanskrit word for perpetuity. in endless quantity and the truths and principles of science At the inauguration of ‘Nithyatha’ predominate. On the other hand, seeing meant more to Dr. V than getting light to the retina. It was about illuminating the inner life and recognising the deep spiritual reality which connects everything in the visible and ever- changing manifest world of our daily external reality... It is a battle against ignorance, anger, differences, intolerance, greed, unkindness, injustice and hatred – all forms of blindness. – Dr. Bill Stewart at the inauguration of Nithyatha 6 HIGHLIGHTS APRIL 2011 - MARCH 2012 Keeping the Flame Alive The Aravind Eye Care System’s three and a half decades of growth and evolution have been driven by its commitment to providing patient centred care with integrity and compassion. An aspiration to sustain this simple, yet powerful approach down the ages, led to the inauguration of ‘Nithyatha’– a retreat centre that celebrates the life, work and vision of Aravind’s remarkable founder, Dr. G. Venkataswamy. The centre was inaugurated on October 2, by long–time friend Dr. R. Pararajasegaram presenting the memento to Mr. and partner in sight, Dr. R. Pararajasegaram. It was a Gnanaraj, the architect of Nithyatha ceremony of profound elegance attended by hundreds of well–wishers. Sri. Vijay Poddar, Sri Aurobindo Society, The meditation hall Pondicherry; Dr. Bill Stewart, Institute for Health and Healing, California; Dr. S.R. Krishnadas and Ms. Deepa Krishnan from Aravind Eye Care System offered felicitations. They shared stories about their association with Dr. V and the tremendous impact he has made on so many lives. The gallery depicting the story of Dr. V’s life The library The amphitheatre 7 An Encouraging New Trend In recent years there has been a welcome change in the health seeking behavior of patients in the community. An increasing number of people in need of eye care are now showing up at hospitals on their own initiative A Conscious Decision to Expand rather than passively waiting for an eye camp, or as was far too often the case, doing nothing at all to address Today Aravind’s limited network of facilities provides their condition. This encouraging shift in behavior close to 40% of all eye care in Tamil Nadu. In view of the (cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:2)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:11)(cid:8)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:2)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:12)(cid:4)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:12)(cid:7)(cid:15)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:11)(cid:8)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:3)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:17)(cid:11)(cid:9)(cid:18)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:16)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:4) (cid:16)(cid:7)(cid:17)(cid:4)(cid:28)(cid:15)(cid:5)(cid:2)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:9)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:21)(cid:4)(cid:15)(cid:4)(cid:25)(cid:7)(cid:22)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:11)(cid:16)(cid:4)(cid:17)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:15)(cid:18)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:4)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:24)(cid:16)(cid:2)(cid:13)(cid:22)(cid:15)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:23)(cid:12)(cid:4) community – decades of taking high quality care to expand Aravind’s network, starting with those areas their very doorstep and doing everything that needed from which high numbers of patients were traveling to be done to ensure that even the most impoverished (cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:24)(cid:16)(cid:2)(cid:13)(cid:22)(cid:15)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:25)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:15)(cid:16)(cid:22)(cid:7)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:4)(cid:9)(cid:7)(cid:15)(cid:22)(cid:6)(cid:4)(cid:29)(cid:9)(cid:15)(cid:14)(cid:2)(cid:16)(cid:25)(cid:26)(cid:4)(cid:30)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:15)(cid:31)(cid:11)(cid:9)(cid:4) villagers could access treatment on their own terms. initiative following this decision was the inauguration Having repeatedly experienced the instant and tangible of a large tertiary care Aravind Hospital in Salem on (cid:19)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:11)(cid:8)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:9)(cid:7)(cid:15)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:21)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:22)(cid:11)(cid:20)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:16)(cid:2)(cid:5)(cid:12)(cid:4)(cid:16)(cid:11)(cid:17)(cid:4)(cid:3)(cid:7)(cid:7)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:14)(cid:15)(cid:23)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:4) November 27. This 42,000sq.ft. facility will cater to (cid:2)(cid:16)(cid:4)(cid:15)(cid:22)(cid:22)(cid:7)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:16)(cid:24)(cid:4)(cid:22)(cid:15)(cid:9)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:11)(cid:16)(cid:4)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:16)(cid:7)(cid:7)(cid:25)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:8)(cid:7)(cid:23)(cid:5)(cid:26)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:14)(cid:7)(cid:9)(cid:12)(cid:4)(cid:13)(cid:8)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:4) the eye care needs of people across the spectrum in and person in India is in need of some form of eye care, and around Salem. Guided by the same strategic thinking, with this changing trend, the demand will continue to an eye clinic was opened on July 1 in downtown increase. It is now time for the providers to come up Pondicherry. To further improve rural access, a series of with innovative ways to address this. new vision centres was opened at Pongalur, Oothukuli, Srivilliputhur and Kadayanallur. Two more hospitals will be inaugurated soon – a hospital in Tuticorin on May 4th and one in Udumalpet in June of 2012. Dr. Natchiar with Dr. Manohar Babu and the Aravind– Salem team 8