Lifetime Achievement Award To Opthalmologist V.M. Loganathan
President of the Tamil Nadu Ophthalmic Association S.S. Sukumar (second from right) presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to opthalmologist V.M. Loganathan at the 57th annual conference of the association in Coimbatore. The Tamil Nadu Ophthalmic Association (TNOA) is focussing on increasing awareness among the public on diabetic retinopathy and the 57th annual conference of the association that is on in the city is discussing this issue, along with advances in the field of ophthalmology, organising secretary of the conference V. Narendran told presspersons here on Friday. Over 1,000 ophthalmologists from across the State and from some neighbouring States were participating in the conference.
An exhibition was also organised by the Coimbatore Ophthalmic Association as part of the meet. Dr. Narendran said the association laid emphasis on stepping up screening of students in schools for detecting vision defects, as part of the outreach eyecare programme. Later, addressing the inaugural of the conference, new president of the association S.S. Sukumar said the TNOA had worked to bring down the incidence of blindness owing to cataract. The focus now was on increasing the number of cataract removal surgeries from the current 1.5 lakh a year to 4.8 lakh. District Collector P. Umanath inaugurated the meeting and the exhibition, Dean of the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital V. Kumaran released a souvenir of the association. President of Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan, Coimbatore Kendra, B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar offered felicitations.
Dr. Sukumar presented the association’s Lifetime Achievement Award to ophthalmologists V.M. Loganathan and G. Natchiar of Aravind Eye Hospital. Former president of the association and Chairman of Aravind Eye Care Systems P. Namperumalsamy received the award on behalf of Dr. Natchiar. The Dr.Joseph Gnanadickam Gold Medal Oration Award went to the Head of Paediatric Ophthalmology at Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, P.Vijayalakshmi. Ophthalmologist S. Selvasundari won the Dr.G.Venkataswamy Oration Award.
