Sr ophthalmologist Dr P Namperumalsamy no more

Madurai: Dr P Namperumalsamy, chairman-emeritus of Aravind Eye Hospital, who transformed eye care in Tamil Nadu and beyond, died on Thursday at the age of 85. Known for his medical excellence and deep sense of service to society, he was guided lifelong by the principle that none should remain blind simply because they are poor. He is survived by his wife Dr G Natchiar, director-emeritus of the hospital, and sons Venkatesh Prajna and Vishnu Prasad."My father was thorough professional and a perfectionist, be it at work or home. He performed his duties diligently as a father, as a grandfather, and a great grandfather as well,'' Prajna told TOI. "The way he challenged himself constantly and aspired for global standards despite coming from a humble background is a rare feat," he said.Born on July 9, 1940 in Ambasamudram village in Theni district, Namperumalsamy did his MBBS at Madurai Medical College. His classmate, Dr Annamalaisamy, 86, a cardiologist, recalls that Dr Nam, as he is fondly referred to, entered the college as a timid boy but grew soon to be the smartest. "I met him only two months ago. He never forgot his roots. Even now, after retiring, he has taken an interest in agriculture," he said. Namperumalsamy started his career at Government Rajaji Hospital and established India's first Low Vision Aid Clinic in 1967. After training in the US, he started the Vitreous Surgery Centre at GRH, a first of its kind in India, and then Retina Vitreous Clinic at Aravind Eye Hospital in 1979.Dr Sridhar, state president elect, IMA, Tamil Nadu, says Namperumalsamy was the perfect definition of a gentleman. Under his stewardship, Aravind became a global model for efficient, high-volume, high quality eye care, winning the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 2010. TIME magazine recognized him among its 100 most influential people in 2010 for transforming cataract surgery into a rapid, assembly-line operation. He was also a recipient of Padma Shri.Several political leaders including chief minister M K Stalin condoled his death. "He gave vision to lakhs of people,'' Stalin said. Dr Namperumal's mortal remains were kept at their house in Anna Nagar in Madurai on Thursday, and will be cremated in his native village on Friday.