Braving rain and slush, early on Saturday morning, volunteers and those associated with the Sankara Nethralaya group gathered together to hold a massive awareness rally at the Marina Beach. ‘Sankara Nethralaya’s Walk for Vision 2012’ was the culmination of the National Eye Donation fortnight that began on August 25. The walk drew close to 1,500 members belonging to different age groups and backgrounds comprising students from the NSS, various city colleges, including educational institutions run by Sankara Nethralaya, members of leading corporate houses and senior management and staff members of Sankara Nethralaya.
Senior police official Dr K Radhakrishnan, Additional Director General of Police flagged off the rally. Actor Srikanth was the guest of honour, adding a dash of stardom to the proceedings. “As an eye care institution started with a service orientation and a social objective, Sankara Nethralaya has consistently championed the noble cause of eye donation and has been making sincere all round attempts to enhance the volume of eye donations, to bridge the wide gap between availability and need for cornea in transplant procedures by spreading awareness on eye donation,” said a representative of the hospital.
He added that since its inception, it has been involved in awareness creation initiatives like short movies, lectures, articles and interviews on eye donation in journals and electronic media by its senior consultants and by conducting outdoor events. The CU Shah Eye Bank along with Sankara Nethralaya undertook a string of activities across the city to create awareness on the importance of eye donation and to sensitize the public on the need to pledge eyes.