[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 176 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING DR. GOVINDAPPA VENKATAWSWAMY

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                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 2020

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Dr. 
Govindappa Venkataswamy, who devoted his life to preventing blindness 
in India and across the world. His 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.
  Dr. V, as he was affectionately called, was born October 1, 1918, in 
a small village in Tamil Nadu, India. After graduating from medical 
school, he joined the Indian Army Medical Corps, but had to resign 
after contracting a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis that left his 
hands permanently disfigured. Unable to practice in his chosen field of 
obstetrics, Dr. V. returned to medical school to complete specialty 
training in ophthalmology and, despite his infirmity, mastered the art 
of cataract surgery. In 1956, he was appointed head of the Department 
of Ophthalmology at the Madurai Medical College, where he performed 
thousands of ocular surgeries until reaching the mandatory retirement 
age of 58.
  Dr. V's work at the medical college sensitized him to the terrible 
impact of blindness on those without means to pay for care or cope with 
disability. That experience, and his deep religious conviction that the 
noblest purpose in life is to serve others, inspired him to pursue an 
extraordinarily ambitious program to end preventable blindness in 
India. In 1976, immediately after retiring from government service, Dr. 
V and members of his family founded the first Aravind Eye Hospital in 
Madurai, India.
  Dr. V took a special interest in the lean business processes of 
highly efficient enterprises like McDonald's restaurants, while 
maintaining the highest standard of care. The self-sustaining Aravind 
Eye Care System is notable for its imaginative division of labor, 
consistent delivery of positive patient outcomes, and intense focus on 
reducing costs. One highly successful byproduct of this focus: Aurolab, 
a Dr. V innovation that manufactures high-quality intraocular lenses so 
competitively priced that it exports the majority of its production to 
clinics all over the world.
  The Aravind Eye Care System has been acclaimed by Harvard Business 
School and is the focus of an HBS case study; was recognized for 
excellence in publications including Fast Company, Forbes and the Wall 
Street Journal; and has inspired health-care organizations throughout 
the developing world. From its humble beginnings in Madurai, the 
Aravind Eye Care System now provides care to over four million patients 
and performs over five hundred thousand surgeries each year in 
hospitals and clinics in South India. Its consulting and training arm--
the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO)--
supports ophthalmologic health care programs throughout the world, and 
the Dr. G. Venkataswamy Eye Research Institute investigates causes and 
evaluates treatment options for various eye diseases, and provides 
clinical and operations support.
  Thankfully, Dr. Venkataswamy's service to humanity did not go 
unnoticed during his lifetime. The Government of India bestowed upon 
him one of its highest civilian honors, the Padma Shri Award, in 1973. 
Other honors include recognition by Helen Keller International, the 
American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Harold Wit Lectureship at 
Harvard Divinity School, and the International Agency for the 
Prevention of Blindness. Additionally, in 2008, the Aravind Eye Care 
System received the prestigious Gates Award for Global Health from the 
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
  Dr. V passed away in 2006, but his legacy continues to give eyesight 
to those who otherwise would be blind, and his story continues to 
inspire. His life is best celebrated by his own words: ``[when] we 
identify ourselves with all that is in the world . . . there is no 
exploitation. It is ourselves we are helping. It is ourselves we are 
healing.''

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