The Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Center at Sankara Nethralaya: Free Services for Low-Income Families

Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre

The Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Center at Sankara Nethralaya offers free services to those with a family income of less than Rs. 20,000/- per month.

All our units follow the same policy of providing high quality treatment to the rich and poor alike. Some of the highlights of our Community Ophthalmic services are listed below:

1987-1992: Camps conducted on alternate Sundays in the Hospital premises

1992-1995: Camps conducted with the help of NGOs especially the Tulsi Trust.

1995-1997: An entire floor in Mahyco block dedicated for community services.

1997-1999: With increasing demand, a separate Hospital started for free patients at Pammal in the outskirts of Chennai.

1999 onwards: Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Center started in the heart of Chennai close to Sankara Nethralaya Main Hospital.

2012-2019 : Jaslok Community Center done its exemplary services at Greams road branch

2020 onwards: Moved to a larger premises at Dr V G Appukutty Campus, St Thomas Mount dedicated fully to community services with better facilities to accommodate more underprivileged patients

In a developing country like India, rural populations still have difficulty in accessing quality eye treatment. Sankara Nethralaya recognized this need early on and has put in an elaborate system to identify patients in near-by Villages with eye problem; bring them to the main Hospital; operate and give those glasses and send them back to their houses - all free of cost. Even the food requirements are met with. Our efforts are whole heatedly supported by Social Service Organizations such as Mission for Vision (Tulsi Trust), Rotary, Lions Club, Sai Trust and by many good hearted individuals.

The department focuses in the provision of the following services:

Comprehensive eye examination
DBR
Fields Test
Cataract Surgeries
Glaucoma Surgeries
Pterygium Surgeries
Yag capsalotomy
Nd: YAG peripheral Iridotomy
Anti-Vegf Injection

At JCOC, community service is not just helping the underprivileged but also roping in community to contribute to our endeavors.

In partnership with a number of NGOs, JCOC conducts eye camps at the city slums as well as rural areas. Those who require surgery are brought to JCOC. Surgery and post-operative care expenses are borne by JCOC if a patient family income is less than Rs.20,000/ - per month. Following the surgery, the patient is drop back to his/her village; this is followed a week later by a doctor visit to examine how the patient is recuperating. An indigent patient who is treated free of cost at JCOC is eligible for the same for life time.

We have also been supported by Lion Club International, Tulsi Trust, Madras West Round Table 10 and Tamil Nadu District Blindness Control Society for Community out Reach Program.

With five operation theatres with eight surgery tables and a ward with 127 patients beds, JCOC treats about 200-250 out patients every day and performs between 30-40 surgeries every day. JCOC also serves as a training centre for PGs and Fellows of Sankara Nethralaya and offers training programme such as the Ratan Tata Fellowship programme.

Having emerged as a leading eye hospital, Sankara Nethralaya takes on community service with utmost sincerity and dedication. And JCOC is a prime example of our belief in serving humanity.

Community Ophthalmology

Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre

Dr. Veena Bhaskaran