S.S. Badrinath, 83, the founder of Sankara Nethralaya and a renowned vitreoretinal surgeon, passed away on Tuesday . He had been unwell for a while.
“Dr. S.S. Badrinath, our visionary Founder, a legend and a caring leader, departed from this life early this morning. The last ceremonies will take place at the Beasant Nagar cremation today around 9.30 a.m. An early statement from the organization stated, “SN is deeply saddened by the demise of our Founder.”

Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath was born in Chennai (formerly Madras) on February 24, 1940, and completed his education there. while a relative who was blind in both eyes came to reside with his family while he was a youngster, Dr. S. S. Badrinath saw blindness up close. According to an article written on the renowned ophthalmologist, “the helplessness of a person without eyesight became deeply‑rooted in the young child’s memory.”

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Dr. Badrinath claims that his desire to become an ophthalmologist was influenced by this childhood recollection of being blind. After earning his medical degree from Madras Medical College in 1962, he went on to study ophthalmology at Grasslands Hospital, New York University Postgraduate Medical School, and Brooklyn Eye and Ear Infirmary in the United States until 1968. From 1970 till then, he was employed as a fellow in the vitreoretinal services of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. After his return to India in 1970, he served as a consultant for six years at the Voluntary Health Services (VHS), Adyar.

He established his own private practice in vitreoretinal surgery and ophthalmology at the Vijaya Hospital in Chennai (1973–1978) and the H. M. Hospital (1970–1972). According to the above-quoted article by A.P. Irungovel, medical sociologist at Sankara Nethralaya, his spiritual and professional journey really started in 1974 when Kanchi Mutt acharya Jayendra Saraswathi met with a group of young doctors and discussed the need to establish hospitals in India that offer world-class care for our citizens at affordable costs. Both the haves and the have-nots should receive the same high-quality care from these institutions, which should be operated with a missionary mentality. After treating his spiritual mentor Chandrasekerendra Saraswathi Swamigal for a cataract, Dr. Badrinath became involved with the Sankara Math.