Chandrababu Naidu inaugurates Sankara Eye Super Speciality Centre near Guntur

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday (November 9) inaugurated the Sankara Eye Super Speciality Centre at Pedakakani, Guntur, and lauded the humanitarian services of the Sankara Eye Foundation.

The Chief Minister said he felt fortunate to have taken part in the inauguration of the new eye care centre and praised the organisation’s commitment to service, knowledge and righteousness, the founding principles laid down by Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya when he established the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Tamil Nadu for the protection of Sanatana Dharma. “From then till now, the Peetham has continued its efforts for the preservation of Hindu dharma,” he noted.

Emphasising the Peetham’s belief that serving humanity is serving God (Madhava Seva), Mr. Naidu said the establishment of eye hospitals across the country, offering free medical services to the poor, stands as a shining example of compassion. He expressed happiness that the new super speciality eye care block will provide world-class facilities and bring light into the lives of thousands of underprivileged people in Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister said he will be happy to participate in the golden jubilee celebrations of Sankara Eye Hospitals, which have built and managed 14 eye hospitals across 10 States over the past five decades. So far, the organisation has performed over 3 million free eye surgeries and conducted vision screening for 7 million children, achievements that he described as extraordinary.

On average, 750 free surgeries are performed a day, a feat unmatched by any other institution, he observed.

Mr. Naidu also lauded the foundation’s ‘Rainbow’ programme for its focus on children’s eye health and commended the ‘Gift of Vision’ rural outreach initiative, under which over 32,000 eye camps have been organised.

He reiterated his government’s vision of a ‘Healthy, Wealthy and Happy Andhra Pradesh’, saying that ill health is the real poverty. To that end, the government is giving top priority to public health by introducing innovative initiatives, including a Universal Health Insurance Policy. He announced that, in collaboration with Tata Group, the State will soon establish Digital Nerve Centres (Sanjeevani Centres) across Andhra Pradesh to strengthen healthcare accessibility.

The Chief Minister said the government is ready to collaborate with reputable institutions such as Sankara Eye Foundation and assured them of continuous government support. Kanchi seer Vijayendra Saraswati and others were present.