Founder of Sankara Nethralaya Dr SS Badrinath passed away, on Tuesday, November 21. He was 83. The famous vitreoretinal surgeon was suffering from age-related ailments for a while. He is survived by his wife Dr Vasanthi Iyengar, a pediatrician and Hematologist.
“Our visionary Founder, a legend and compassionate leader Dr. S.S. Badrinath passed away early this morning. The last rites will be held after 9.30 A.M. today at the Besant Nagar crematorium. SN is deeply saddened by the demise of our Founder,” the institution made an announcement.
According to a report by The Hindu, Dr Badrinath had left instructions to the hospital that there should be no elaborate funeral arrangements and that no one should stop working after his demise. He had reportedly said that they can wear a black arm band as a mark of grief and continue to work.
Dr SS Badrinath was born in 1940 and brought up in Chennai. He had lost both his parents during his teenage years, and had completed his medical education with the life insurance money left behind by his parents. While he underwent schooling in PS High School, Mylapore and Sri Ramakrishna Mission High School, T Nagar, he went to Loyola College and the Madras Medical College between. In 1962, he completed his medical studies in ophthalmology and graduated in the same discipline from Grasslands Hospital, New York University postgraduate medical school and Brooklyn Eye and Ear Infirmary in the US.
After working at the Voluntary Health Services, Adyar as a consultant between 1970 and 1976, Dr Badrinath started his private practice in ophthalmology and vitreoretinal surgery at two private hospitals. In 1974, he met Kanchi Mutt acharya Jayendra Saraswathi, when his spiritual journey began. After the Mutt’s wish that affordable but world-class healthcare should be provided to the people, Dr Badrinath had decided to implement it. In 1978, he founded the Sankara Nethralaya as a unit of the Medical Research Foundation, that provides affordable healthcare to everyone.
Dr Badrinath has received several accolades for his service, including the Padma Sri (1983) and Padma Bhushan (1999) awards.