Lead Kindly Light

I have known Dr. Venkatasamy for over three decades. He is known for his silent contribution and bringing light to 1000?s of people. All his life he has worked for total elimination of avoidable blindness. He has brought with the Aravind Eye Hospital the best of technology and best of management. He has established Aravind hospital in many places and also the mobile clinics. He has created many leaders in the field, who has spread various parts of the world. Whichever eye hospitals I visited, I could meet number of people, who have been trained by Dr. Venkatasamy. Let me recite two verses on remembrance of Dr. Venkatasamy Avargal.

Lead Kindly Light

Oh Almighty, you gave us light,

Light and remove the utter darkness,

His was the enlightened soul,

The soul touched everyone,

Oh Almighty, lead kindly light.

Whenever I visited Madurai, for me, it was a pilgrimage to visit the Aravind Eye Hospital and meet the great soul, Dr G. Venkataswamy, who gave light for more than 100,000 patients. But today Dr Venkataswamy is not with us. But his vision and how he has transformed many hospitals, many ophthalmologists and many managers is visible to all of us. He has left an imprint in the minds of all the members of eyecare community who came in contact with him. I recall an incident which took place few years back. One of my friends Shri M R Kurup, who was the Director of Solid Propellant Rocket Motor Plant, suddenly lost his vision. People around him took him to Aravind Hospital for treatment. I visited him in the hospital and saw the treatment of various patients. That is the time I could see all the patients are given equal priority, equal care irrespective of their status. It was a divine environment. It didn't look like a hospital. It virtually looked like a temple. My friend was fully treated and he got back the sight. He told me when I got the sight the first person I saw was Dr Venkataswamy. I am grateful to God that not only, I got the sight but he gave me an opportunity to meet a great soul. This was the type of patient - Doctor relationship in Aravind Eye Hospital.

Every year, Aravind is giving sight to thousands and thousands of people in the country. The mission of Aravind is not only giving sight to the visually handicapped, but also it is a centre of education and research. During the past 30 years, this institution has created the best of doctors, best of nurses and other paramedical staff and has also been responsible for giving birth to many institutions. Recently, I was in Bhubaneswar for inaugurating the Bhubaneswar Eye Institute established by Dr Tara Prasad Das. I asked Dr Tara Prasad Das how he could get a state-of-the-art eyecare facility established within one year after entering into a civil contract, he told me that the contractor had earlier worked for Aravind Hospital. This shows how Dr Venkataswamy had trained even the facility creators and architects.

When I met him one day I asked him how the thought of creating Aravind Hospital came to his mind. He said, he was a practitioner in the Madurai Govt. Hospital and he was concerned about the eye treatment of poor people. That led to the creation of Aravind Hospital with a philosophy of 30:70, that is treating 30 well to do patients can provide free eyecare to 70 poor patients. He has given the leadership to this institution and proved to the eyecare world that it is a self-sustaining proposition.

Eye care community has indeed got a noble soul in Dr. G. Venkatasamy and he will be a ?beacon light? for the entire ophthalmologists and eye care centers across the nation. His services given in the form of research, team work, affordable care to the poor, introduction of a new management style, continuously updating the technology, above all building friendship among multiple nations for the cause of eye care will definitely ensure that the Right to Sight programme will succeed positively.

Whenever I think of a great soul like Dr. Venkatasamy, I would like to refer to an ancient thought: Almighty God addressing his human creation:

"We have made thee neither of heaven nor of earth, neither mortal nor immortal, so that with freedom of choice and with honour, as though the maker and molder of thyself that is Dr. G Venkatasamy, thou mayest fashion thyself in whatever shape thou shalt prefer."

When I see the divine services Dr. G. Venkataswamy, the founder of Aravind Eye Care System, I can see that he has succeeded in fulfilling God's mission for man, with freedom of choice and with honour as though the maker and molder of thyself, that is Dr. G. Venkatasamy.

Thank you.