BY VEENA RAO

The year 2008 has been a significant one for Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) USA, the non-profit organization with a mission to eradicate curable blindness in India. It reached many milestones in 2008 with the inauguration of three hospitals in Bangalore and Shimoga in Karnataka, and Anand in Gujarat. 

SEF, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in May this year, had another significant milestone with around 100,000 free eye surgeries conducted at its facilities across India in 2008. 

The facility at Bangalore was inaugurated by Chief Secretary of Karnataka, Sudhakar Rao and S. Gopalakrishnan, Managing Director and CEO of Infosys, the facility at Shimoga was inaugurated by the Minister of Medical Education Mr. Ramachandra Gowda on behalf of the chief minister of Karnataka, B. S. Yediyurappa, who could not attend due to last minute engagements. The chief minister of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi, inaugurated the hospital at Anand, Gujarat, a modern facility in NH8, next to Amul Chocolate Factory. 

SEF organized events across the US to raise funds, to communicate the progress and launch new initiatives and to thank the donors who have helped the accomplishments become a reality with their generous donations. The theme of the events this year focused on celebration of the progress of Sankara movement and on celebration of dance for all ages and included all forms of Indian dance. 

Dandiya events and cultural shows were organized throughout the US. Apart from sold-out events in southern California, events were held in Dallas, Seattle, Detroit and Chicago. 

Talking to this reporter, SEF chairman K Muralidharan said his focus was now on holding entertainment events in the tri-state area and in the mid-west.

“We are now running eight eye hospitals in India and will be performing over 100,000 free eye surgeries in the year 2009,” he said. 

SEF has launched two new projects to build hospitals in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Land will be identified in the first half of 2009 and para-medical staff training for Punjab will start in June 2009 at our Coimbatore Hospital. Punjab Hospital construction will begin in January 2010 and complete by the end of 2010. UP Hospital will be ready by the end of 2012.

”Each new hospital will cost approximately $3 million,” Muralidharan added.
SEF has two popular programs for donor support.
‘Open an eye a month’ costs just $30 a month. This can be easily setup from the SEF website www.giftofvision.org (Donate Now), or by calling the SEF office at 1-866-Sankara (1-866-726-5272).

The second option is to donate $1,000 and become a founding donor of SEF’s upcoming hospitals in Punjab or Uttar Pradesh.
“Donors can have the name of your beloved one inscribed on the Hospital 'Wall of Founders,” said Muralidharan.

“If your company matches employee donations then the above becomes $15 a month and $500 respectively.”

The goal of SEF is to conduct a million surgeries by the year 2020, and to have one eye hospital in each state in India.

Muralidharan hoped for volunteer support and donors from Georgia and other southeastern states to help realize SEF’s noble dream.