Political Quotes

“Today, on the 102nd anniversary of his birth, I rise to honor Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy, an Indian ophthalmologist who devoted his life to preventing blindness in India and across the world. Dr. Venkataswamy's work preserved the vision of millions of men, women, and children, allowing them the blessing of sight and the opportunity to enjoy independent, productive lives. Though Dr. V suffered from a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis that left his hands permanently disfigured, he defied all odds to become an expert ophthalmologist and mastered the art of cataract surgery. Having witnessed the terrible impact of blindness on those without the means to pay for their own care, Dr. V pursued an extraordinarily ambitious program to end preventable blindness in India. In 1976, Dr. V and members of his family founded the first of what would later become a network of Aravind Eye Hospitals in Madurai, India. The Aravind Eye Care System has been acclaimed by Harvard Business School and is the focus of an HBS case study. It has also been recognized for excellence in publications, including Fast Company, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal, and it has inspired healthcare organizations throughout the developing world. From its humble beginning in Madurai, the Aravind Eye Care System now provides care to over 4 million patients and performs over 500,000 surgeries each year in hospitals and clinics throughout south India. Dr.…”