NeoRetina; AP’s First Exclusive Hospital for

Retinal Eye Care Opens Doors

The Need- : As Cataract Blindness in India is being attended to aggressively through a multi-pronged approach, other causes of blindness take precedence. Currently cataract blindness accounts for only 44% where as other causes of blindness account for approximately 56% out of which substantial 17% of blindness is due to retinal diseases.

Hyderabad|India|June'2010:  NEORETINA Eye Care Institute (NEI), an exclusive tertiary hospital for Retinal Diseases Treatment & Comprehensive eye care was formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri. K Rosaiah in the city. The 8500 square foot, 20 beds Hospital will provide comprehensive tertiary eye care facility to deal with retina, pediatric, cornea and glaucoma related eye problems. Located at Chapel Road, Opp LB Stadium, NEI is equipped with state of the art operation theatre complex including highly advanced operating microscopes, microsurgical equipment and anesthesia workstation to perform complex retinal surgeries. The facility will also offer all ocular trauma and emergencies services round the clock. NEI has established practices and processes to efficiently evaluate its patients for successful recovery.

Speaking at the inaugural function Dr. Raja Ram Reddy, Founder Director of NEORETINA eye care institute (NEI) said while the problem of cataract blindness is being addressed by all eye hospitals aggressively & it has to be recognized that other eye problems especially retinal diseases demand equal attention because of changes in the trends of diseases and aging population known as the epidemiological and demographic transition. The idea to set up NEORETINA was to bridge the increasing need for exclusive Retinal care as most of the efforts and resources in the country for blindness prevention are channeled to the problem of cataract blindness. There is also very few good models for service delivery for problems related to retina (diabetic retinopathy, retinal degeneration and retinal detachment) ocular trauma and childhood blindness that cannot address the burgeoning need.

“I always had a big interest in surgery and advancing medicine and its evolution. Most importantly I enjoy caring for patients” Dr. Raja Ram Reddy added. NEI goal is to serve Hyderabad city and the neighboring districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and help reduce the magnitude of blindness from its estimated 1.84% of the service area population to less than 1%, by providing super specialty eye care services to people in the region.”

Neoretina specializes in the retina and vitreous of the eye. Because treating these areas may be very complex, we expect other doctors to also refer their patients to the Neoretina for consultation. Neoretina will maintain close communication with the patient's primary eye doctor so the patient can receive the best, coordinated care.

Current global estimates indicate that blindness affects close to 37 million people, with nine out of ten blind people living in developing countries. If the problem of uncorrected refractive errors is also considered there is an estimated 310 million people with blindness and visual impairment across the globe. Two-thirds or more of all blindness is avoidable, in that the causes are preventable or treatable. Life expectancy has increased considerably during this century in both developing and developed countries. Ageing population and a consequent increase in chronic diseases will lead to increased need for other specialty services such as Diabetic retinopathy, ARMD, Glaucoma, etc other than cataract.

It is estimated that 9 - 12 million people are blind in India. The epidemiological study in Andhra Pradesh states that the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to be quite high with a prevalence of blindness of 1.84% (Presenting distance visual acuity <6/60 or central visual field<20 degree in the better eye) in the population. 80% of this is either preventable or treatable. The prevalence of moderate visual impairment for Andhra Pradesh is estimated as 8.1% (presenting distance visual acuity <6/18 – 6/60 or equivalent visual field loss in the better eye) and another 3.8% has unilateral blindness. In a population-based study, the myopia prevalence was estimated at 3.2% among children aged less than 15 years and 19.5% in persons aged more than 15 years. This imposes substantial social and economic burden on the society.

Our diagnostics department (PROVISION) provides the state of the art ophthalmic diagnostics. This facility offers digital fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomograms (OCT both posterior as well as anterior), visual field analysis, ophthalmic ultrasound, visual evoked potential (VEP), electrtoretinogram (ERG) electrooculogram (EOG) to enable NEI to arrive at accurate diagnosis even in rare degenerative retinal diseases.

Neoretina has a team of highly specialized ophthalmologists, Optometrists and nursing staff led by Dr. Raja Ram Reddy, a specialist in retinal surgery with close to 10 years of experience in the field of vitreoretinal diseases and lasers. He studied his MBBS and MD Ophthalmology at the prestigious AIIMS, New Delhi. He is the recipient of the coveted Diploma of Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, UK. Before founding the Hospital, Dr. Raja Ram Reddy worked at AIIMS, New Delhi.

NEI will also be the first of its kind hospital in city that will offer exclusive round the clock emergency services for ocular trauma including complex corneal and lid lacerations. The Hospital is open for patient consultations Monday through Saturday; from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Physicians are available for emergencies 24-hours per day, seven days per week.

-June'' 2010