Shraddha Eye Care Trust partners with Padma Shri awardee Dr. Ramana Rao’s ‘Village Clinic’ to improve access to eye care services across rural Bangalore

• Signed a MoU to establish a dedicated ophthalmic wing at Dr. Rao’s clinic, with advanced eye care services to underserved rural patients of Bangalore
• 43% require prescription glasses, 40% have untreated cataracts and 72% Patients are Females, indicating a critical need for specialised vision care services to underserved communities

Bangalore, 12^th February, 2025: Shraddha Eye Care Trust, the non-profit wing of Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sunday, with Padma Shri Dr. B. Ramana Rao, the renowned Bangalore-based Physician and Cardiologist, to provide eye care services at his ‘Bhanuvara Grama Chikitsalaya’, also known as Sunday Village Clinic in T.Begur, Bangalore.

Dr. B. Ramana Rao has been running a free medical clinic every Sunday for over 51 years, offering a variety of critical primary medical services and bridge the healthcare gap by making specialized healthcare services accessible to the underserved communities. The Village Clinic has become a lifeline for many individuals below poverty line who have limited access to quality healthcare.

The Village Clinic offers comprehensive, free healthcare, including basic health checkups like blood pressure and blood sugar, electrocardiograms (ECGs), nebulization, dental, oral care, medications, injections, and free hot meals for Patients traveling long distances. Dr. Sri Ganesh and Shraddha Eye Care Trust are now joining hands to offer a new Ophthalmic wing established at Dr. Rao’s Village Clinic, fully equipped and operated by Shraddha Eye Care Trust, to bring quality eye care services to the rural Patients.

“Quality healthcare is a basic human right and everyone deserves access to specialized treatment and advanced technology. Our collaboration with Shraddha Eye Care Trust allows us to provide just that, expanding our eye care services with a dedicated Ophthalmic wing. This will make a real difference in ensuring good eye health for all. The new Ophthalmic wing represents a significant milestone, bringing us closer to our goal of accessible and comprehensive healthcare for all rural communities,” said Padma Shri Dr. B Ramana Rao.

This dedicated eye care facility within the existing clinic structure will offer comprehensive eye care services. This partnership would ensure that patients visiting the camp can access quality eye care services, and address the critical need for advanced eye care services in underserved rural areas around Karnataka.

Prof. Dr. Sri Ganesh, Founder and Managing Trustee at Shraddha Eye Care Trust & CMD of Nethradhama Hospitals Pvt Ltd added, “We are honored to partner with Padma Shri Dr. Ramana Rao and his Village Clinic. The need for quality eye care in rural areas is immense. Many suffer from preventable vision loss simply because they lack access to basic eye care services. This collaboration will enable us to reach more people in rural Karnataka, and provide them with quality eye care services with advanced clinical equipment and specialty care. Through this partnership, we expect to conduct comprehensive eye examinations for the Patients who lack access to healthcare services.”

Over 2,000 people from across Karnataka visit the camp every Sunday to avail the facilities. Around 43% Patients were unaware that they need prescription eyeglasses, while 40% have untreated cataracts, which need a dedicated Ophthalmic care within the centre. This highlights the immediate need for proactive eye care intervention in rural communities.