Empowering Vision: Global Advances In Eye Care

Dr. V K Raju calls for our immediate and sustainable action, giving hope for tomorrow, a world without childhood blindness 
“Childhood blindness is a tragedy, but we can prevent it. Today, we make a new beginning in our concerted efforts to prevent and eradicate childhood blindness with the resources and the modern technology that are available today,” said Dr. Vadrevu K. Raju, a world-renowned ophthalmologist, philanthropist, and the founder of the Eye Foundation of America (EFA) said here during a Scientific Convention and Fund Raiser being organized at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on January 31, 2025.
Empowering Vision Global Advances In Eye Care

Over 1.4 million children are found to be blind, and millions more suffer from visual impairments that can be treated and prevented if done in a timely manner. This is not merely a medical issue. It’s a humanitarian crisis that demands our immediate and sustained action, and that is why we are all here today, in our efforts to giving hope for tomorrow, a world without childhood blindness,” DR. Raju added.

Dr. Leela Raju, an Organizing Chair of the event, delivered the welcome address. The chief guest at the event was Dr Radhika Tandon, Chairperson of RP Cender, who delivered the keynote address. Richa Jain Kallra, a TV News Anchor & Host eloquently emceed the event.Empowering Vision Global Advances In Eye Care Speakers

In her welcome address, Dr. Leela Raju stressed the importance of ensuring that more people know about the causes and the means to reduce childhood blindness and eradicate it. Dr. Leela Raju stated that the discussions today would focus on “not just glaucoma, but cornea and pediatric ophthalmology. And of course, regarding retinopathy and prematurity, which is our real push in both Delhi and around India to reduce the burden of childhood blindness.”

Dr. Radhika Tandon, a global thought leader, who continues to inspire innovation and excellence in ophthalmology, shaping the future of visual care with her dedication and brilliance, in her keynote address, said, “A very, very big word of appreciation for the eye Foundation of America, as well as the Gautami Eye Institute, for taking this initiative, of getting people together on this platform, and also for envisioning a world, where two countries across great continents and opposite sides of the globe can work together, to make a difference.”

She drew parallels between the  clinical practices in the American clinical space, and in India, “where we have cutting edge technology and excellent surgical skills and a huge volume of patients, the combination of the thought processes and the energy that we have together can make a huge difference.”

Dr. Tandon, while referring to the noble mission and the new initiatives by the Eye Foundation, starting today, said, “We hope, soon we will be able to have a very wonderful celebration with some very tangible goals, along with the broader goals. In the end, we want to see how much did we achieve. So, keep some small baby step goals as well. So you can say yes, we achieved this.”

Dr. Thomas Johnson, a Specialist in Neuroscience  at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, said, “It’s “It’s my first time to India, and it’s been a while that I’ve been wanting to come here and engage more with the ophthalmology community of India. I think in many ways, what you have done here in your country is a real beacon for advancing eye care that is applicable all over the world. I know the work that you have done with vision camps and screening for preventable blindness and finding innovative ways to deliver care to people that don’t always have the resources to seek out themselves, is really inspiring and something that every country about the world should take note of and try to.”

Dr. Charles Cole, a dedicated educator, who is leading surgical training at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, who flew in to Delhi especially for today’s event, said, “Well, first and foremost, I wanted to thank the planning committee for this wonderful invitation to come and speak. It’s a great honor to be able to speak to such esteemed colleagues. And my first trip to India. So I’m very excited. I’m hoping this will be just the beginning. And I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on microdata platforms.”

Dr Karan Bhatia, Vice President of Young Ophthalmologist Society of India (YOSI) delivered an address, introducing YOSI to the audience. The team, Young Ophthalmologist Society of India (YOSI) consists of Doctors Diva Kant Misra, President; Sonal Kalia, IPP; Digvijay Singh, past President: Karan Bhatia, Vice President; Dr Nilesh Kumar, Secretary; Aditya Sethi, Treasurer; and, Prasanna Ramesh, Joint Secretary.

Empowering Vision Global Advances In Eye Care Felicitations

A day long workshop on Empowering Vision Global Advances In Eye Care was organized jointly by the Young Ophthalmologist Society of India, Gautami Eye Institute, Eye Foundation of America, and The Rotary RI 3011, and was attended by Faculty from prestigious Eye Hospitals and Educational Institutes from around the nation. The event was inaugurated by the esteemed guests by lighting of the traditional lamp.

The scientific session in the morning focused on glaucoma care, navigating challenges and embracing innovations, which was chaired by Dr. Charles Cole and Dr. Thomas B Johnson, who have come from the United States to be part of this event. And the panelists were Dr. J S Bhalla, Dr. Vineet Sehgal, Dr. Devi Tuli, and Dr. Shika Gupta. The highly informative session was moderated by Dr. Mainak Bhattacharya. The topics discussed were on key challenges in Glaucoma Management in Indian scenario by Dr Kirti Singh, while Dr. Thomas Johnson spoke about Advances in Glaucoma Diagnostics, and Dr. Charles Cole addressed the audience on Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Therapies.

The session on ROP Insights: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Screening, Treatment and Prevention was chaired by Dr. V. K. Raju and Dr Parijal Chandra, Panelists were Dr. Sanjay Mishra, Dr Priyank Garg, Dr. Aparna Gupta, and Dr Rekha Adlakha. The session was moderated by Dr. Vaibhav Sethi. Dr Harshal Sahare led an insightful session on ROP Screening and Diagnostics. Treatment Options for ROP was the topic discussed by Dr. Priyank Garg; and, ROP Prevention Strategies was the topic discussed by Dr Ritu Singh.

An insightful session on Corneal Health in India was chaired by Dr. Radhika Tandon, Dr. Namrata Sharma and Dr V K Raju. And the panelists were Dr. Uma Sridhar, Dr Alka Gupta, and Dr. Anu Malik. The session was moderated by Dr. Karan Bhatia. Dr Prafulla Maharana presented his talk on Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis: An Overview in the Indian Context. Dr Gunjan, Budhiraja spoke about Corneal Injuries and Infections in Children – Key Challenges in Treatment and Prevention.  Dr. Rajesh Sinha spoke about The State of Corneal Transplantation in India, and the key Challenges.

The post lunch session was on YOSI Sightliness – Recent Innovations, Future Directions and Interesting Cases in Ophthalmology. Dr Lalit Verma, Dr Thomas Johnson and Dr Charles Cole were the chairpersons for the session. Dr. Leela Raju, Dr Sarita Agarwal and Dr. Sahil Agarwal were the panelists, and the sessions were moderated by Dr. Karan Bhatia and Dr Aditya Sethi.

Dr Prasanth Gireesh presented An Overview of Virtual Reality, AI, 3D Printing and Mobile Solutions for. A New Era of Screening and Diagnostics. Dr. Aditi Gosh spoke about Stem Cell Therapy In Eye Care. Dr. Navjot Kaur presented a case study on Epithelial Ingrowth Post SMILE. Another case study was presented on MMC Toxicity, Post Bleb Kneading With Remarkable Recovery was presented by Dr Mehak Gupta.

A case study on Minimally Invasive Needle Drainage For Serous Choroidal Effusion In Retinal Detachment was presented by Dr Aman Khanna. The final case study on Onlooking Closely was presented by Dr Tanya Jain.

The final session on Comprehensive Perspectives In Pediatrics Ophthalmology was chaired by Dr Rohit Saxena, Dr Suma Ganesh, and the panelists were Dr. Sumit Monga, Dr. Adiya Sethi, Dr.. Nupur Goel, and Dr. Arshi Singh were panelists, while Dr/ Digvijay Singh moderated the session.

Dr. V K Raju says, “Together, Let Us Illuminate Young Lives and Create A World Without Childhood Blindness. Your Support Can: Change Lives, Restore Vision, And Empower Futures. Now, Let’s All Join the Movement; Be Part of Something Extraordinary.” For more information, please contact: info@eyefoundationofamerica.org

During Press Conference In New York, AAPI Presents on Ways to Leverage Resources And Skills To Support Healthcare Initiatives In India And USA

During a historic Press Conference with nearly two dozen media persons from the electronic, print and visual media in attendance at the Indian Consulate in New York on a rainy Sunday evening, September 29, 2024 Dr. Satheesh Kathula, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) shared about his vision for AAPI under his leadership and about AAPI’s contributions to India and the United states during the past 43 years.

Dr. Kathula urged the media to be the link and a channel between AAPI and the larger community in sharing AAPI’s message and about the noble initiatives that benefit the Indian American community and the people back home in India. Expressing his gratitude to the media persons for their presence today and for the support they have provided over the past several decades to AAPI, Dr. Kathula urged their ongoing support “to help to get the message out, in reaching out to the general public here, the Indian diaspora and in India, especially for providing health education on preventive measures.

AAPI Collage 2Dr. Kathula along with Dr. Hetal Gor, a member of the AAPI Board of Trustees, briefed the media on AAPI’s ongoing activities in the United States and India, and highlighted the upcoming Global Health Summit in New Delhi, scheduled for October 19th to 20th.  This summit aims to bring together healthcare professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders to address the prevention of cancer and heart attacks in the Indian population with lifestyle modification and technology.

Dr. Kathula invited all the AAPI members to attend the next edition of AAPI’s annual Global Health Summit this October in New Delhi, with a focus on preventing cancer and heart attacks through lifestyle changes and technological advancements. AAPI has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of India Honorable Droupadi Murmu to be the Honored Guests at GHS 2024 and to address the hundreds of AAPI delegates at the Summit. Hon. Health Minister J.P. Nadda has been invited and he has agreed to meet with AAPI delegates to formally to discuss the healthcare issues especially the prevention aspect of cancer and Heart attacks in India.

AAPI is planning to organize bone marrow drives across the nation, as the donor pool among South Asians is very limited, Dr. Kathula said. “So, we are trying to recruit potential donors in the stem cell or bone marrow transplant donations. Because people are getting affected by lymphomas and leukemias, and they need transplant. Since they do not get the matched donors in this country, we are trying to increase that pool,” he added.

As the President of AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization, representing the interests of over 120,000 physicians of Indian origin, Dr. Kathula said, AAPI is also launching a program called “Million Miles of Gratitude,” to honor veterans by promoting physical activity, he said. Participants can log their walking or running miles, with each mile serving as a tribute to the veterans. The goal is to collectively reach a million miles in the coming year.

According to Dr. Kathula, AAPI is planning to introduce heart screenings for the Indian American community, as they are at higher risk of experiencing heart attacks at a younger age, and that this initiative will focus on prevention and early detection.

AAPI Collage 3Earlier during the day, AAPI organized AAPI Leadership Retreat at the Indian Consulate in New York City and was graced by the presence of Hon. Consul General Binay Pradhan. The panel included several distinguished figures from various fields, including Dr. Sanjeev Kaul, Chief of Trauma; Sudeep Kapur, a magistrate; Manee Kamboji, owner of a highly successful IT company; Natalie McKenzie, a health and fitness coach and podcaster; Jyoti Soni, a catering and wedding planner with over three decades of experience in the culinary industry; and Dr. Satheesh Kathula, President of AAPI. The session was expertly moderated by Dr. Hetal Gor.

Consul General, Honorable Binay Pradhan, in his address highlighted his long association with AAPI from his past interactions with AAPI members. Highlighting the recent meetings India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with top CEOs from the United States during his recent visit,  Pradhan emphasized that India’s potential is “not only appreciated by the ordinary people of the United States, but even by the industry, and that’s probably the reason why all these industry entities are now present in India in a much bigger way. So it’s going to be leading to bigger investment back within India.”

Pradhan lauded the contributions of “a strong Indian Association of Doctors, AAPI.  We feel so lucky that we have their strong presence, of this fraternity in this country. And I’m sure, going forward, you are going to be an anchor. You will be bringing the relationship between India and the United States much closer, especially in the healthcare sector.”

Pradhan told AAPI that “My expectation, my request has been that, this is the time for you to rethink about how you contribute back home in India. I know all of you, individually and collectively, do a lot of good work back home in India. The economy of India is undergoing a massive transformation today. The Indian people are not looking for help in meeting their basic needs, but would expect a strong Association like yours to help them to touch their aspirations. You have access to the best of the medical technologies in this country. You can think about what you can do to touch the aspirations of the people, by using the technology, and reach a much larger number of people in India.”

AAPI is a forum to facilitate and enable Indian American Physicians to excel in patient care, teaching and research, and to pursue their aspirations in professional and community affairs. For more information on AAPI and its many programs, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

Enhance Mental Resilience and Revitalize Metabolism with a 30-Minute Weight-Free Walking Routine

In a bid to cultivate mental fortitude and invigorate metabolic activity, a 30-minute walking workout devoid of weights emerges as a versatile regimen accessible to all, irrespective of location or fitness level.

Collaborating with outdoor footwear giant Merrell, Goop introduces a mindful walking meditation aimed at fostering an enhanced connection with nature while promoting mindfulness. The session, spearheaded by Mel Mah, serves as a guided practice tailored for outdoor environments, be it a hike, beach stroll, park visit, or even a simple backyard excursion. “Developing a deep connection with nature is a matter of getting out in it,” underscores the team. With just half an hour dedicated to this endeavor, participants are encouraged to immerse themselves in the present moment.

For those venturing into public spaces, outfitting with premium workout headphones ensures privacy during this introspective journey. Time spent amidst nature yields multifaceted benefits, ranging from improved sleep and stress reduction to lowered heart rates. Furthermore, research suggests that exposure to outdoor settings, particularly natural landscapes, fosters heightened creativity.

Mah emphasizes the significance of connection in facilitating a deceleration of pace. “Let’s begin by slowing down the mind and body,” she suggests. Commencing with a series of preparatory steps involving closing one’s eyes, elongating the spine, and tuning into bodily sensations through mindful breathing sets the tone for the session.

A notable aspect of Mah’s approach is the delayed introduction of walking, accommodating individuals not solely focused on physical exertion. To fully leverage the 30-minute walking workout, initiating the walk prior to commencing the session is advised.

The Physical and Mental Perks of Outdoor Walking

From a physical standpoint, brisk walking proves instrumental in sustaining a robust metabolism, curbing sedentary behavior, and contributing to Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), which encompasses calorie expenditure beyond formal workouts. While the session is framed as a walking meditation, it can seamlessly transition into a workout by incorporating light handheld weights, ankle or wrist weights, amplifying pace, or tackling undulating terrains to elevate heart rate, introduce resistance, and intensify muscle engagement.

However, weighted accessories are not indispensable for reaping rewards. Mental resilience can be honed concurrently with physical conditioning, utilizing body weight to fortify muscles, joints, bones, and ligaments. Moreover, the session underscores a strong emphasis on mindfulness, allowing for moments of silence for personal exploration or heightened intensity if desired.

It is noteworthy that any form of exercise, including walking, contributes positively to overall well-being, with a daily target of 7,000 steps recommended. Individuals pursuing weight loss objectives may find the session’s intensity insufficient and may opt for alternative routines geared towards this goal.

In addition to uplifting mood and mindfulness, walking fosters strength in lower body musculature and vital joints such as hips, knees, and ankles, crucial for preserving muscle mass and bone density with advancing age. This aligns with osteogenic loading, a process wherein bones undergo stimulation for growth and reinforcement.

During the walking session, participants are encouraged to immerse themselves in their surroundings, keenly observing scents, sounds, and tactile sensations. Conscious engagement with foot movements and rhythmic breathing serves to tether the mind to the present, fostering a deeper connection with the sensory experience.

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