People from different walks of life came together to pay homage to S.S. Badrinath, founder of Sankara Nethralaya, and recalled his contributions to the field of ophthalmology and in making eye care affordable and accessible to many through the institution.
Dr. Badrinath passed away on November 21. At a condolence meeting held here on Saturday, Sankara Nethralaya president Girish Rao said a proposal recommending renaming of the hospital’s main campus in honour of Dr. Badrinath would be submitted during the forthcoming meeting of the Medical Research Foundation Board.
Addressing the gathering, N. Murali, director, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, said Dr. Badrinath was a legend in transformative, compassionate and scientific eye care and an inspirational institution builder. His life’s mission was to serve society through ophthalmology. He started Sankara Nethralaya in 1978 with the objectives of providing quality, affordable eye care that was accessible to all sections of society, particularly the poor; train ophthalmologists; and research on diseases relevant to the country, he added.
“His legacy, vision and principles will live on as they are deeply embedded in the collective DNA of Sankara Nethralaya,” he said.
In a video message, N. Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, said Dr. Badrinath’s contribution to eye care was unparalleled and he had given vision to millions of people.
N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, said in a video message that Dr. Badrinath was an inspiring and a charismatic leader who believed in team work. A legend in the field of scientific and compassionate medicine, he invested in research and training and was open to new ideas, he added.
S. Gurumurthy, editor of Thuglak magazine, said Dr. Badrinath was immortalised by Sankara Nethralaya and the team that he had created.
Lyricist Vairamuthu, too, spoke on the occasion.
Representing the alumni of Sankara Nethralaya, Mohan Rajan, chairman and medical director, Rajan Eye Care Hospital, said Dr. Badrinath was an embodiment of passion, hard work, commitment and dedication and left a legacy in the form of a team.
Nalli Kuppusamy, industrialist; Girija Vaidyanathan, former Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu government; V. Sriram, entrepreneur and historian; V. Kamakoti, director, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras; and several medical professionals, among others, took part.
Actor Rajinikanth was among those who paid homage through video message. Sankara Nethralaya’s chairman T.S. Surendran was present.
