Sankara Eye Hospital, part of the Coimbatore-based Sankara Eye Care Institutions, is gearing up to expand its cancer eye care services. In this regard, it has planned an outlay of Rs 75 lakh to offer brachytherapy or radiation and open up two departments of ocular genetics and Histopathology. For brachytherapy, the hospital is now awaiting the necessary clearances from the Department of Atomic Energy's Radiation Regulatory Board. The treatment is expected to commence from May this year.

The hospital which started the Ocular Oncology Department in September 2008 has been offering surgery and chemotherapy treatment to control Retinoblastoma, a paediatric cancer affecting children in the age group between one to three years. In the last one and half years, it has diagnosed and extended care to 70 children.

"Going by the increasing incidence of Retinoblastoma which is the most common cancer affecting one in 15,000 children in India, we are looking to offer advanced care through brachytherapy. The hospital has set aside Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh," Dr Mahesh Shanmughan, head, Ocular Oncology Department, Sankara Eye Hospital told Pharmabiz.

It is critical to treat Retinoblastoma in the early stages because of its genetic manifestation. If Retinoblastoma affects one eye, it is not familial, but if occurs in both the eyes it is a genetic condition. The patients are diagnosed during eye camps because it is a silent disease. The condition is rare but curable and children can lead a normal life after treatment, he added.

The department also treats orbit tumour which is a growth around the eye. There are around 40 cases which have come to Sankara Eye Hospital for treatment.

Although Sankara Eye Hospital is the fifth in the country to have a dedicated oncology department, it is the first facility in Karnataka. Other centres are All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, Madurai-based Aravind Eye Hospital at Coimbatore and LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, said Dr Shanmugam.

Its 8 hospitals in Coimbatore, Guntur, Krishnankovil, Bangalore, Shimoga, Anand, Pammal and Silvassa have conducted 7,594 free weekly eyes screening camps and performed 525,000 free eye surgeries. Seventy percent of the patients are provided free treatment and surgery. In the case of treatment for Retinoblastoma, the cost is around Rs 50,000 for the 30 per cent of its patients who are under the affordable category.

In its second year of operation in Karnataka, efforts are on to increase its rural outreach programmes. From March 2008, 414 free eye screening camps and performed over 17,013 free eye surgeries were carried out. Under its 'Mission for Vision' project, it has launched a number of community programmes including 'Gift of Vision' which helps to diagnose and treat corneal blindness, cataract, glaucoma and other eye ailments. Surgeries are also performed free of cost. Programme like Rainbow, Maithri, Swagatham, Nanna Kannu and Nayantara have helped to screen over 31,000 poor children.

As part of the second anniversary in Karnataka, Sankara Eye Hospital conducted an awareness drive on Glaucoma, eye donation, cataract, conjunctivitis and diabetic retinopathy. India has the highest blind population, of which 80 percent is curable or preventable. "We are aggressive in the rural outreach projects for early diagnosis. Prevalence of chronic eye diseases is attributed to lack of affordable treatment, acute shortage of ophthalmologists and poor eye donation to treat corneal disorders. Our community outreach programmes are focused on the underprivileged patients," stated Dr Umesh, chief medical officer, Sankara Eye Hospital.