Who Was SS Badrinath? Founder Of Chennai’s Sankara Nethralaya Dies At 83
Badrinath was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1999 from the Government of India. Here's all you need to know about him.
Founder and chairman emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya Dr SS Badrinath died on Tuesday. He was 83.
The news was confirmed by Tamil Nadu Congress vice president Rama Suganthan on X.
Former Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu condoled the death of Dr Badrinath and said: "He was a one-man institution, a stalwart who built this iconic Hospital which caters to thousands of patients from all over. Om Shanti!"
Who Was SS Badrinath? Early Life
Dr Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath was born on February 24, 1940 in Triplicane, Chennai.
His father, Sri S. V. Srinivasa Rao, was employed in the Madras Government Service as an Engineer in Public Works and Food production department. His mother, Lakshmi Devi, was the daughter of a leading advocate from Nerur, Tamilnadu.
Badrinath was the youngest of seven siblings. He lost both his parents while still in his teens and completed his medical studies from the life insurance policy money obtained following the death of his father.
SS Badrinath: Education
Badrinath started his education late at the age of 7 due to a childhood illness. He studied at P S High School, Mylapore and Sri Ramakrishna Mission High School, T.Nagar, Chennai. Between 1955 and 1957, he completed the "intermediate" collegiate study at Loyola College.
Badrinath was a student of the Madras Medical College between 1957 and 1962. He completed his medical studies in the first attempt and secured the highest marks in ophthalmology in the University Exams.
Higher Education
Badrinath pursued his graduate studies in ophthalmology in the United States of America at Grasslands Hospital, New York University postgraduate medical school and Brooklyn Eye and Ear Infirmary between 1963 and 1968.
He worked as a fellow in the vitreoretinal services of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston under Dr Charles L. Schepens from 1968 to 1970.
He passed the examination for the Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Canada) and the American Board Examination in Ophthalmology in 1969 and 1970 respectively.
SS Badrinath: Medical Career
From 1970, Badrinath worked as a consultant at the Voluntary Health Services, Adyar. He set up his private practice in ophthalmology and vitreoretinal surgery at the H.M. Hospital between 1970 to 1972 and at Vijaya Hospital, Chennai between 1973 to 1978.
In 1978, Badrinath founded the Medical Research Foundation, of which Sankara Nethralaya is the hospital unit. He was also the Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya which aimed at providing quality care at affordable cost, teaching and training ophthalmologists and paramedical personnel and research in vision sciences.
Badrinath was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1999 from the Government of India.
SS Badrinath: Personal Life
Badrinath met Dr Vasanthi Iyengar, a board-certified paediatrician and Hematologist in Brooklyn New York in 1966. The couple got married on June 3, 1967. They have two sons.
