Combining Excellence with Equity

He founded LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad in 1982. Today, he has opened tertiary care hospitals in Bhubaneshwar and Vishakaptnam, along with seven secondary care centres all over AP

Dr GN Rao (62) Chairman, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad

Born in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh (AP), Dr GN Rao completed his MBBS from Guntur Medical College, and went to AIIMS, New Delhi for his post-graduation in ophthalmology.

Before being an entrepreneur

In 1974, he went to Tufts University in Boston for speciality training in corneal transplantation and later on worked at University of Rochester for 10 years. When he left the university, he was an Associate Clinical Professor and the Director of Cornea Research Laboratory.

Why an entrepreneur?

"To develop a model of healthcare that is of high quality, comprehensive, employs team concept and is affordable that combines excellence with equity," says he.

The first move

The idea of starting a not-for-profit eye centre struck Dr Rao in 1982. He visited top institutes in America, Europe and India to study their functioning, and then chalked out a concrete plan for an eye centre. Dr Rao also met NT Rama Rao, the then chief minister of AP, and made an appeal for some land for this purpose.

"In the summer of '85, I got a call from a cardiac surgeon friend saying that he wanted me to talk to a gentleman called Ramesh Prasad, son of veteran film producer LV Prasad," says Dr Rao. Prasad learnt from this friend about Dr Rao's plan to start a hospital. The Prasad Trust had some funds available, which they wished to invest in a hospital set-up in India. "Prasad was impressed by my plan for the hospital and decided to support me. Four months later, when I visited India, he conveyed this decision to me," recalls Dr Rao. The Government of Andhra Pradesh donated eight acres of land near Golconda, where Optometry School and Centre is currently located. Concurrently, Dr Rao started the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation to fund ongoing research activities at the institute. To fund the centre, he set up a foundation in the US in February 1985 with the help of friends and colleagues, the Indo-American Eye Care Society.

Over the years

LVPEI, Hyderabad has so far provided outpatient services to over four million people and surgical care to over four lakh patients—almost 50 per cent of them free. "In addition, we have trained over 10,000 doctors and para-medical personnel from India and abroad," says Dr Rao.

For the first time in India, LVPEI specially designed courses for imparting training to ophthalmologists in the country. This was followed by the introduction of corneal transplants and the Ramayamma International Eye Bank, the first world-class eye bank in Asia. To give a boost to eye donation, Dr Rao with his dedicated team, started imparting awareness to common people about the benefits of donating corneas. The Hyderabad hospital currently performs the highest number of corneal transplants from a single institute in the world.

In July 2006, the Group has commissioned tertiary care hospitals in Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneshwar. "We have so far spent about Rs 25 crore each on these two hospitals. Both have a volume of over 50,000 patients per year and surgical volume of over 5,000 per year. In Bhubaneshwar, we are beginning to replicate our rural model of secondary, primary and community care, that is a success in AP," he says.

Contribution to healthcare

He was the first to introduce an integrated system of secondary and primary eye care in remote rural areas. "I have created a model of high quality, comprehensive and multi-level care available to all people, which is now being replicated by Government of India, Australian Blindness Initiative and some segments of Global Vision 2020: The Right to Sight," says he. He has trained over 10,000 eye care professionals from all parts of the world.

He has been instrumental in introducing a global policy as chair of the Board of International Agency for the prevention of blindness which together with World Health Organisation has launched a global initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020. A Co-founder Of VISION 2020 -India forum, he has formulated the Andhra Pradesh Right to Sight Society

Dr Rao believes in imparting the best eye care at affordable cost, and wherever possible, free to people who cannot afford the care. Hence, LVPEI conducts 50 per cent of its surgeries and eye procedures absolutely free. For secondary and tertiary care, the institute has formed partnerships with local secondary care hospitals which are near primary care centres. This model is quite popular and has been replicated by institutions all over the world like Chicendo in Indonesia, Islamia Hospital in Bangladesh and Fundacion Vision Hospital in Paraguay.

Awards

He has won Pisart Vision Award as an outstanding humanitarian and respected ophthalmologist and International Blindness Prevention Award 2006 from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. His favourite award is the Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Also, being elected in 1998 as one of the 50 members of the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, the group of 60 top academicians in ophthalmology of the world, is close to his heart. He has also won the Padmashri.

Fears and apprehensions

He claims that he never really had any fear as an entrepreneur. "I wanted to give my 150 per cent and see how it worked. Fortunately, every thing turned out to be great," says he.

Overcoming roadblocks

"Fortunately, not too many roadblocks. The biggest was to get quality people for the remuneration that a not-for-profit like ours can afford," says he.

Mistakes made and lessons learnt

"Proper attention to every detail in HR selection at higher levels is critical," says he.

Any formal degree in management

None. "I am intuitive and follow great role models and use lot of common sense," says he.

Tips for entrepreneurship

"Chase your dream and never change," says he.

The road ahead

The prime goal of the institute is now to ensure that it is amongst the top 10 eye institutes in the world. Besides, a new building at the Kallam Anji Reddy campus in Hyderabad of about 100,000 square feet is coming up. He wants to introduce training and clinical research facilities in both Bhubaneshwar and Visakhapatnam and has planned a rural eye care programme in Orissa with secondary centres. "We want to double research space to about 50,000 square feet and enhance our community-based rehabilitation programmes," he says. Three more secondary and one more tertiary centres are coming up in AP by 2010. "We would also triple our training capacity by 2012," he adds.

An entrepreneur that he admires in healthcare

Dr G Venkata Swamy of Aravind Eye, Madurai.