24/07/2025
The first Vitreo Retinal Surgery I saw and assisted, in my life, was in Annamalai University, performed by my teacher Dr PM Mishra in 1997. It was a Scleral buckling surgery. Within a week, I attended the 'Update Ophthalmology programme' in Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, under the watchful supervision of Dr Natchiar. Every one called her a terror, but I found her most loving and affectionate. Dr Ramesh Babu of SRMC was with me during that update/ Post Graduate refresher programme. The next day, we were taken to the Operation Theatre to witness Dr Namperumal Samy performing a 21G parsplana vitrectomy and endolaser relayed on a TV, enthralling the entire bunch of budding Ophthalmologists in the OT with what was then considered a pioneering surgery. In our college, Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital, cryopexy was done, but here, it was Endolaser using a red laser, one of the first in South India. Dr PN Nagpal was a trailblazer in Vitreo Retinal Surgeries, those days. Those were my 'Wonder years' and Dr Namperumal Samy was one of my heroes. He was ably assisted by Dr Ramakrishnan- Glaucoma- Tirunelveli and Dr Srinivasan - Cornea - Madurai, to make Aravind Eye Hospital the centre of gravity of Ophthalmology in South India. There were great institutions like CMC Vellore, Joseph Eye Hospital, Trichy, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Chennai, Sankara Netralaya and LVP, Hyderabad serving alongside.
Today, three decades later, if we look at our Ophthal fraternity as a family, then the most impactful, in terms of reach, outreach, knowledge dissemination and research in South India , are Aravind Eye HospitalS with a capital S , Narayana Netralaya, Sankara Netralaya and LVP. The seed was sown by Dr G Venkatsamy and nourished by Dr Natchiar, Dr Namperumal Samy, Dr Ramakrishnan, Dr Srinivasan and Dr RDR. Today, that great institution has lost its Chief Nourisher whose vision has sprawled into a great banyan tree. 'The Chief trunk' is no more, but the other multi-trunks will and should bear the responsibility of keeping Aravind Eye Hospitals nurtured and growing.
Like Dr Namperumal Samy DID.
What an Honourable departure! Good bye Chief !
