Bengaluru: In a significant step towards strengthening community healthcare in Bengaluru, Shri Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament, Bengaluru South, inaugurated the Shraddha Eye Hospital in Padmanabhanagar.

Established by the Shraddha Eye Care Trust, the non-profit arm of Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospitals, the centre aims to improve access to affordable, timely eye care and address preventable vision loss among underserved communities in the city.

The inauguration was attended by notable dignitaries, including Prof. Dr. Sri Ganesh, Managing Trustee of Shraddha Eye Care Trust; Dr. Suman Shree R, Trustee of Shraddha Eye Care Trust; and Dr. Sushmitha Sriganesh, Chief Medical Officer of Shraddha Eye Care Trust, along with key donors who have supported the initiative.During the inauguration, Shri Tejasvi Surya, MP, said, “Through Shraddha Charitable Trust, Nethradhama has conducted more than 90,000 free eye surgeries for patients from economically weaker sections across Karnataka in the last few years.

Such large-scale interventions are not just medical services; they restore dignity, independence, and livelihood for thousands of families. It is because of professionals like Prof. Dr. Sri Ganesh and his team that the medical profession continues to command enduring respect.”“An important insight shared by the doctors stood out.

They are increasingly seeing cataract cases among younger people, driven by lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension, setting in earlier than before. This is a reminder that healthcare cannot be confined to hospitals alone. India must work at a population level, with all stakeholders coming together, to build a healthier society rooted in prevention, awareness, and better lifestyles,” Shri Surya added.Backed by Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital, the Shraddha Eye Care Trust represents the organisation’s structured long-term commitment to addressing healthcare inequity. Since its inception in 2002, the Trust has extended eye care services beyond hospital settings into underserved communities across Karnataka.

Through sustained outreach, Shraddha has reached 5+ Lakh beneficiaries, conducted 4000+ Eye screening camps, and enabled 90,000+ surgeries so far, focusing on prevention, early detection, and affordable treatment.At the community level, Shraddha Eye Care Trust Hospital offers end-to-end eye care services, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and surgeries, while also anchoring outreach programmes across Karnataka.

Speaking at the occasion, Prof. Dr. Sri Ganesh outlined the long-term vision behind the initiative and said, “Our Vision is Eye Care for All with a Humane Touch & Our Mission is to Provide affordable eye care with empathy and Kindness & to eliminate avoidable blindness by ensuring that quality eye care reaches everyone, regardless of socio-economic background. A large part of vision loss can be prevented, but this requires better access at the community level.

Through Shraddha, we are working to make early detection and treatment more accessible. Expanding such centres is an important step towards building a more inclusive and preventive healthcare system in Bengaluru. We are grateful to Shri Tejasvi Surya for his continued support in strengthening community healthcare initiatives in the city.”Dr. Sushmitha Sriganesh highlighted the critical importance of accessibility to quality diagnostics and treatment in the charitable eye care domain. She said, “Through Shraddha Eye Care Trust the aim to ensure access to eye care, to continually adopt advanced technology and to train Ophthalmologist and Eye care professionals with a focus on health care social responsibility and commitment to quality eye care without compromise, even in chartable services.”“Equally, eye banking plays a pivotal role in enabling corneal transplants and restoring vision for patients with corneal blindness.

Through Shraddha Eye Bank, our focus is to enhance awareness on eye donation, expand access at the community level, and strengthen trust in eye care systems, ensuring that no patient is left behind due to delayed access to treatment,” Dr. Sushmitha added further.To mark the occasion, free eye screening camps were conducted for residents in and around Padmanabhanagar, offering consultations, refraction tests, and spectacle distribution. The initiative reflects a focused approach where infrastructure expansion is directly aligned with on-ground community impact.

As Bengaluru continues to evolve as a healthcare hub, initiatives like Shraddha Eye Care Trust are playing a critical role in strengthening preventive care and expanding equitable access to essential services