Chairman Desk

27, 28, and 29th September 2024 were three important days in the life of senior ophthalmologist Dr. K.V. Ravishankar for a couple of reasons: he was part of the centenary celebration of his Alma Mater, Mysore Medical College. During this joyous occasion, he and Dr Uma Ravishankar were honored by his batchmates( 1980-1985 MMC ), for the high-quality eye-care services he has been rendering to the community in India and abroad, for both paying and non-paying patients. For nearly three decades, Dr. Ravishankar has balanced rigorous advancements in ophthalmology with compassionate service, embracing both technology and community care with equal enthusiasm.

Kowshik Venkatasubbaiah Ravishankar (b.1963) was born in Hassan, Karnataka, and completed his schooling there before joining Mysore Medical College. After graduating in medicine and surgery, he worked at Minto Eye Hospital and Prabha Eye Clinic in Bangalore to deepen his understanding of ophthalmology before joining Sankara Netralaya in Chennai in 1987 for his post-graduate program. He specialized in Vitreo Retinal surgery under the mentorship of the legendary Dr. S.S. Badrinath, the founder of Sankara Netralaya. After completing his fellowship, Dr. Ravishankar continued as a Retina Consultant at Sankara Netralaya for four more years.

Seeking further specialization, he pursued an additional fellowship in Vitreo Retina under another luminary, Dr. Relja Živojnović at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Dr. Živojnović, an acclaimed Vitreo Retinal surgeon, trained Dr. Ravishankar in advanced surgical techniques, enriching his expertise. With this background, Dr. Ravishankar, along with his partner Dr. Uma, established Usha Kiran Eye Hospital in Mysore on January 1, 1995.

Not long after establishing the hospital, Dr. Ravishankar noticed that some patients, despite needing surgery, could not afford even reasonably priced procedures. This realization inspired him to start Usha Kiran Charitable Trust on January 1, 1998, enabling community outreach. Joining the Rotary Club of Mysore West, he furthered his impact, raising funds and partnering with national and international NGOs to support eye surgeries for the underserved.

Initially focusing on adult cataract surgeries, he later shifted focus to pediatric surgeries, partnering with Sri Vivekananda Sevashrama (SVS) for extensive screening and treatment programs. Together with SVS volunteers and Usha Kiran optometrists, they screened 600-1000 school children daily, providing spectacles for common refractive issues and identifying children in need of further treatment. With support from Rotarian Dr. Gabriel Minder of Geneva, Dr. Ravishankar expanded these efforts into a major Rotary Matching Grant project in 2008, funding over 200 pediatric surgeries free of cost.

Rtn Dr M V Ravikumar of Of Rotary Avoidable Blindness Foundation , Bangalore , Rtn Jorge Amaral or Porto, Portugal, Rtn John Miles of Guildford,UK, and large number of friends and well wishers have supported these acts-of kindness over the years.

Dr. Ravishankar's commitment to community ophthalmology led him on missions abroad, where he volunteered his expertise in countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Honduras, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, performing over 2,000 adult and 220 pediatric surgeries.

His wife, Dr. Uma Ravishankar, has been strong piller of support , in all his endeavors. She has accompanied him on several missions and contributed immensely for success of these with her surgical skills . She is highly skilled cataract and cornea surgeon of repute.

Over the years, the couple has performed over 17,000 free adult surgeries, including treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy and Glaucoma, 12,000 subsidized surgeries, and 50,000 paid procedures. They have screened 400,000 school children, provided 15,000 free spectacles, and completed 400 free and 400 subsidized pediatric surgeries, in addition to 2,500 paid pediatric procedures.

Dr. Ravishankar’s numerous awards and accolades from Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, NGOs, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery attest to his service.

His mentor Dr. Badrinath once expressed pride in his accomplishments, particularly his Life-time Achievement Award from Rotary Avoidable Blindness Foundation for community work.