From a small community healthcare initiative in Coimbatore to a nationwide eye-care movement, Dr. R. V. Ramani’s journey with Sankara Eye Foundation reflects a decades-long effort to make quality eye care accessible to underserved communities. Born in Coimbatore in 1947, Dr. Ramani founded the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust in 1981 and, with his wife Dr. Radha Ramani, helped establish Sankara’s eye-care movement in 1985.
By May 2023, Sankara had screened more than 1.3 crore patients and performed over 29.7 lakh eye surgeries. Its Gift of Vision programme has provided free eye surgeries to 24 lakh beneficiaries, while its Rainbow programme has screened 60 lakh children. The organisation has also expanded to 13 hospitals across 10 states and 41 vision centres offering telemedicine services.
Dr. Ramani was awarded the Padma Shri in 2019 for his contribution to healthcare. His approach has centred on bringing high-quality, cost-effective eye care closer to people, particularly in rural India.
A Mission Built Around Access
Dr. Ramani’s work was shaped by his early exposure to community healthcare. His father, Dr. A Ramanathan, was among the first doctors in Coimbatore and served the community during the 1942 plague outbreak. That experience influenced Ramani’s decision to pursue medicine.
He studied at Municipal Boys High School in Coimbatore before earning his medical degree from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, where he was named Best Outgoing Student. After returning to Coimbatore, he and Dr. Radha restarted his father’s clinic as the Dr. Ramanathan Memorial Clinic. Despite developing a successful private practice, the couple wanted to extend healthcare to people who could not afford quality treatment.
In 1977, they began volunteering at a small medical centre on the premises of Kamakshi Amman Temple in R.S. Puram, Coimbatore, alongside 10 other doctors and medical representatives. Over the following five years, nine such centres were established, with 75 consultants eventually joining the group in an honorary capacity.
In 1981, Dr. Ramani established the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust specifically for healthcare service activities, under the guidance of the Sankaracharyas of Kanchi. Four years later, eye care was selected as the Trust’s specialised area of service. Dr. Ramani’s vision was clear: “A World class eye care with a social impact.” His definition of community eye care was equally direct: “high quality, cost effective, readily available eye care at the doorsteps of rural India”.
From Coimbatore To A National Network
The Sankara movement began with an eye hospital in Coimbatore on land donated by Late Mr N. Natraj and his family in the mid-1980s. Over the decades, the initiative expanded significantly. By May 2023, Sankara Eye Hospitals had grown to 13 centres across 10 states, with a combined bed strength of 2,500.
It also operated 41 vision centres equipped with telemedicine facilities to extend eye-care services to rural communities. Its flagship Gift of Vision programme began in 1990 with the involvement of Rotary Coimbatore Central and Mr G. V. Eswar, Chief Patron of Sankara Eye Foundation India. The programme has since provided free eye surgeries to 24 lakh beneficiaries.
Sankara’s work also extends to children through its Rainbow programme, under which 60 lakh children have been screened and provided treatment wherever required. The organisation has also invested in developing healthcare professionals through the Sankara Academy of Vision, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses for doctors, administrators, optometrists and paramedics.
Another important part of the foundation’s work has been eye banking. When eye banking was still limited in India during the 1980s, Dr. Ramani worked to build awareness around eye donation and challenge myths surrounding the practice. Sankara Eye Banks now operate at its hospitals in Shimoga, Guntur, Anand, Bengaluru and Ludhiana. Dr. Ramani has consistently encouraged people to consider donation through the message: “Do not Bury, Do No Burn, Donate Eye, Its Divine.” His contribution to healthcare was recognised with the Padma Shri in 2019, India’s third-highest civilian award.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Dr. R. V. Ramani’s story illustrates how healthcare can become a long-term community movement when access, affordability and service remain at its centre. Sankara’s journey also demonstrates that addressing preventable blindness is not only about performing surgeries; it involves screening people early, taking services to rural communities, training healthcare workers, caring for children and creating awareness around eye donation. What stands out is the emphasis on making specialised care available to people who may otherwise struggle to reach it. In a country where geography and affordability can influence access to healthcare, initiatives that bring essential services closer to communities can help narrow that gap.
The story also highlights the value of sustained partnerships, volunteerism and professional commitment. Dr. Ramani’s recognition with the Padma Shri adds national acknowledgement to a mission that began decades earlier in Coimbatore.
At The Logical Indian, we believe meaningful social change is strengthened when healthcare is guided by empathy, dignity and the belief that quality treatment should not be determined solely by a person’s economic circumstances. As Sankara continues its mission, what more can communities and healthcare professionals do to make essential care accessible to everyone?
