Reinforcing its commitment to making world-class eye care accessible to all, Sankara Eye Hospital, one of India’s foremost eye care institutions, in collaboration with Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, has inaugurated its new Sankara Super Speciality Eye Hospital in Pedakakani, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The facility was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu, in the presence of Jagadguru Shri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal.
This new eye care facility has been set at an investment of around Rs 75 Crore. Spanning 86,360 sq. ft and with existing capacity, has become the largest standalone eye hospital in AP. With 2 lakh+ sq. ft., the state-of-the-art, world-class facility houses a capacity to serve an additional 1000 patients daily, marking a significant stride toward expanding access to advanced ophthalmic care across Andhra Pradesh. With this expansion, Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur, aims to double its annual free eye surgeries from 30,000 to 60,000 for economically weaker sections.
Speaking at the inauguration, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu said, “I am pleased to inaugurate the Sankara Eye Hospital new block in Pedakakani, Guntur. This facility will make advanced eye care accessible to people from all sections of society, especially the underprivileged. The Government of Andhra Pradesh appreciates Sankara’s dedicated efforts in preventing avoidable blindness and improving the quality of life for many.”
To ensure long-term sustainability while extending its services to those most in need, the hospital will operate on a cross-subsidization model (75:25), where income from paying patients (25% of beneficiaries) supports free surgeries for 75% of the beneficiaries.
Dr. R.V. Ramani, Founder and Managing Trustee, Sankara Eye Foundation, said, “India is home to more than 20% of the world’s blind population, and according to WHO, nearly 80% of visual impairments are preventable or treatable with timely intervention. Sankara Eye Hospital was founded to provide quality eye care to all. Our goal is to reach five lakh free surgeries annually across India by 2030. Like all our hospitals across the country, this new facility will also operate on a sustainable model, offering subsidized services to those in need through the support of paying patients.”
Jagadguru Shri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal remarked, “Service to humanity is the highest form of worship. Through initiatives like this hospital, we see the spirit of dharma manifest in compassionate action. The Sankara Eye Hospital has been a shining example of how science and spirituality can work together for the welfare of society. May this new institution continue to serve selflessly and bring light into countless lives.”
Jagadguru Shri Satya Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal added, “The gift of vision is among the greatest gifts one can offer. By restoring sight, we restore dignity, independence, and hope. May God bless the Sankara Eye Foundation and all those who have contributed to this noble cause. May this hospital in Guntur grow as a centre of healing, service, and divine grace.”
With the Blessings of Kanchi Shankaracharya, the Sankara Eye Hospital, Pedakakani, Guntur, has been serving the State of Andhra Pradesh for the past 21 years. As a premier institution, it has been providing high-quality eye care to everyone, irrespective of their socio-economic status. This Hospital has so far touched over 30 lakh+ lives and performed over 7.15 lakh eye surgeries.
Shri Murali Krishnamurthy, Founder and Executive Chairman of Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, said: “Sankara has set up a large eye hospital in Pedakakani, Guntur at a time when eye care costs are high. The hospital’s approach will enable more people in Guntur and surrounding districts and villages from AP and other neighboring, states to avail high quality care. We will continue to extend all necessary assistance to realize Sankara’s vision of reaching out to the most deserving people in need of eye care.”
Across India, over 6.8 million patients have been screened, and over 3.2 million eye surgeries have been performed so far by Sankara. The hospital has seen many flagship programs like “Gift of Vision”, “Maitri” and “Rainbow”, among others. Sankara Eye Hospital is among the largest and fastest growing social enterprise managing super speciality eye care hospitals in the country, located across 10 states that include Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Maharashtra. The Hospital is dedicated to revolutionizing the landscape of eye care by tackling concerns of accessibility and affordability. As the global burden of cataract-induced blindness continues to rise, Sankara is steadfast in its mission to eradicate needless vision impairment.
