Charitable eye hospital with a PHC to offer free treatment opened at Shankaranarayana village

A charitable eye hospital which also has a primary healthcare centre and which will offer free treatment to patients was inaugurated at Shankaranarayana village in Udupi district on Sunday.

A charitable eye hospital which also has a primary healthcare centre and which will offer free treatment to patients was inaugurated at Shankaranarayana village in Udupi district on Sunday. The Charmakki Narayana Shetty Memorial Eye Hospital at the village will be operated and managed by Narayana Netralaya.

The hospital has been set up by N. Sitaram Shetty, Executive Chairman of Shankaranarayana Constructions (SNC) Pvt. Ltd. under its CSR initiative. The venture was supported by the Narayana Nethralaya Group of Hospitals founded by the late Bhujanga Shetty. Alok Shetty, Managing Director of Bhoomiputra Architecture, is the architect who designed the hospital building.

With no cash counters, all services at the hospital are provided for free ensuring that healthcare is available to everyone in the community, Dr. Sitaram Shetty said during the inauguration.

The hospital has state-of-the-art equipment and renowned health care professionals will offer treatments here.

The inauguration of the hospital marks the 100th birth anniversary of SNC’s founder C. Narayana Shetty. “The hospital is a testament to Mr. Narayana Shetty’s enduring legacy of social responsibility,” said Dr. Sitaram Shetty. “Residents are encouraged to utilise this no-cost, high-quality facility to support a healthier future for themselves and the community,” the chairman said.

The hospital will offer completely free cataract surgeries. It is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities designed to deliver the highest standard of eye care. Two ultra-modern operation theatres capable of performing up to 70,000 cataract surgeries annually have been set up. Phaco cataract surgeries will be performed using high-performance, imported phaco machines for superior outcomes, Dr. Sitaram Shetty said.

The primary healthcare centre at the hospital will offer free consultations, vaccinations, laboratory tests and minor injury care. To raise awareness and promote the use of these essential services, outreach programmes and interactive sessions are being conducted to educate villagers on the importance of vaccinations, preventive care, and proper healthcare utilization, he said.