The Chairman
Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao
M.D. (Opthal.) (AIIMS), FAMS, FACS, FRCS, FNASc.
Distinguished Chair of Eye Health, L V Prasad Eye Institute
Email: gnrao@lvpei.org
Dr. Gullapalli N Rao established the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India in 1987 and is LVPEI’s Founder Chair. He is the alumnus of Guntur Medical College; AIIMS; Tufts University and University of Rochester, USA.
He has over 300 publications, membership on editorial boards of several international journals of ophthalmology, visiting professorships, honorary doctorates and fellowships from national and international academic institutions. He is a member of the “Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis (AOI)” and served as its President. He held leadership positions on the boards of many organisations, including the International Council of Ophthalmology. He was Secretary–General and later Chair of the Board and CEO of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness. He is a member of the Jury of Annual Vision Science Award of the Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal.
He was inducted into the “Ophthalmology Hall of Fame” at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). The All India Ophthalmological Society created the “Gullapalli N. Rao – AIOS Endowment Lecture” in his honour, in 2020. He also received The Sanford and Susan Greenberg Outstanding Achievement Prize as part of the “End Blindness 2020” initiative.
Powers & Functions of the Chairman:
According to Rule 12.2 of the IHS:
- The Chairman, shall, by virtue of his office, be head of the institute.
- The Chairman shall preside over the meetings of the board of governors.
- The Chairman, shall, when present preside at the General Body, the Executive Council, formal ceremonies and celebrations of the institute.
- The Chairman, may by order in writing annul any proceedings of the institute, which is not in conformity with the objectives and/or rules of the institute.
- Provided that before making any such order, he shall give a notice to the concerned authority or office bearer to show cause why such an order should not be made and if any cause is shown within the time specified therefore, in the said notice, shall consider the same.
Honour Roll of Past Chairpersons:
Dr. P. Hrishikesh
IHS Chairman:
21st Aug 1994 - 12th Sep 2011
Dr. Hrishikesh, passed BA in 1946, and MBBS in 1953, from the Andhra University. By 1956, he did a Diploma in Public Health from the Calcultta University followed by a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard University in 1959. He was one of the first persons from the Telugu States to have studied Masters in Public Health in Harvard School of Public Health in 1950s. He was a Teaching Fellow, at the Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical School, University of Vermont, Burlington from 1959 to 1960. Back in Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Hrishikesh taught Social and Preventive Medicine as Professor in Gandhi, Andhra and Osmania Medical Colleges, between 1961 to 1976. He was Chief Medical & Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation Hyderabad, between 1976 to 1979 and 1985 to 1987. He was Director Health in 1983 and 1984. After retirement from Government service, he dedicated himself to the Sivananda Rehabilitation Home, as its Director, and Honorary Secretary.
During the days leading up to the establishing of IHS, Dr. Hrishikesh encouraged the idea, and readily volunteered his services towards establishment of the Institute and its operation during the initial days. He ably nurtured the IHS as a Honorary Director and Chairman of the Board from 21/08/1994 until the date of his passing away on 12th September, 2011.
Shri G. Kumaraswamy Reddy
IHS Chairman: 05th Dec 1990 - 15th July 1994
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