Horse Racing and providing invaluable eye services to the under- privileged sections of the society has no parallel in the annals of the Race Clubs. Perhaps Mysore Race Club is the only Club in India, which has combined the Racing activity with charity. The evidence is there for all to see in the form of MYSORE RACE CLUB EYE JHOSPITAL, which can be termed as one of the best of its kind with all modern amenities being continuously added over the years and is considered ‘A GIFT OF VISION ‘ to Mysore City.

The Mysore Race Club Charitable Trust, the brainchild of the Mysore Race Club Committee under the Chairmanship of Late Farrokh K. Irani, was formed in the year 1983, with the prime motto of engaging in charitable work for the benefit of under privileged section of the society in Mysore and adjoining areas. The Trust identified Prevention of Blindness as the field of priority and decided to take up this task. In association with the famed Aravind Eye Hospital of Madurai, a survey was conducted and it was revealed that more than 60000 people were suffering from preventable blindness in Mysore District alone.

This made the Charitable Trust to start the MYSORE RACE CLUB EYE HOSPITAL, on 30.7.1994. In the initial stages the hospital was lucky enough to have the valuable guidance of PADMASHREE DR. G. VENKITASWAMY, Chairman of the Aravind Hospital, Madirai and his team there. The Lions Club of Mysore West was initially associated with the Hospital for funding of cataract surgeries through SIGHT FIRST INTERNATIONAL. At present the District Blindness Control Society at Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Madya, Madikeri(Coorg Dt.), are associated with the Hospital and are funding free cataract and IOL surgeries, performed on the Poor Patients coming from the respective districts.

The Hospital treats most of its patients free of cost through its Community Out Reach Programme. Since the main area of focus is on cataract patients, screening camps are conducted in the rural areas of the Districts and also in the Slums of Urban areas, every Monday and the identified cases are brought to the hospital for Surgery. The two camp co-ordinators of the Hospital visit the villages and organise the camps to identify the patients. These patients who are brought to the Hospital for surgery, are provided free accommodation food and medicines and when they are discharged on a Friday they are provided transport back to Campsite. It is ensured that at no time do the Patients feel neglected. So far, this Hospital that one in three surgeries in the Mysore Dist., is being done in the MRC Eye Hospital and 70% of this belongs to free category while the remaining belong to paying category. During the past nearly nine years this Hospital has evaluated nearly Three Lakh patients and around 27,000 surgeries performed in the Hospital   so far. In this about 18,000 that is 67% is a free case.

The types of surgery performed in this Hospital are (1) Extra capsular cataract extraction with sutures. (2) Manual Phaco Sutureless where an incision of about 6mm is done to remove the cataract and an IOL (Introcular Lens) is implanted. (3) In the second type called the instrumental Phaco, a 3.2 mm incision is done and an acrylic Foldable Lens is inserted.

 90% of the free cataract cases are IOL, which has to be done under microscope; About Rs.1000 is spent on each free case.

The Hospital has many other Hi-Tech equipment’s like (1) The Humpherey Field Analyser costing Rs. 12 Lakhs, which is useful in investigating field loss due to various conditions (viz), Glaucoma or other retinal and neurological disorders) it is useful in the management of Glaucoma for analysing the field loss and to assess the progress of the same in Glaucoma patients) (2) YAG Laser costing RS. 14 Lakhs, Laser beam is used to clear the posterior capsular Opacifiation, which occurs in few patients who undergo catract extraction and IOL implantation. It is also used for Laser peripheral Iridotomy to treat narrow angle Glaucoma.

A close circuit television is also installed in the Hospital where the visitors can watch the performance of the operation.

 It is mention worthy here that in all these years of functioning, this Hospital did not encounter even a single Problem of people going blind after the operations, thanks to the stringent measures being taken to

see that no infection occurs. The O.T. is perfectly fumigated every day. Every effort is being taken to keep the entire Hospital, spotless clean.

Another feather was added to this Hospital on 20.10.02 when a fully furnished Library was opened in the Hospital. The Library will be having an array of National and International Medical Journals, Books CDs, Computers and Magazines related to Ophthalmology for the Benefit of Doctors. Enough facilities are made to conduct meetings also in this Hall.

To keep abreast with the ever-growing developments in the Ophthalmology field the Doctors of this Hospital are actively participating in the CME programmes, Symposiums, Seminars and Conferences connected with Ophthalmology. The Doctors of this Hospital have also presented papers in such conferences.

Impressed with the working of this Hospital many philanthropists in particular to Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy of Indian Cultural Research trust who is generous to continuously donate to this Hospital to the tune of Rs. 22 Lakhs as on date. There are many more donors to this Hospital and to mention a few of them.

1) Rajaah Sir, Annamalai Chettiar Memorial Trust              Rs. 4.00 Lakhs

2) The Tiram Das Education Trust                                  Rs. 2.72 Lakhs

3) Ganesh Charities Trust                                             Rs. 2.50 Lakhs

4) Sri. D. Vinod Shivappa                                              Rs. 2.00 Lakhs

Many more service Organisations have become a part of this Hospital by contributing liberally. As said earlier Lions Clubs of Mysore West associated to this Hospital initially for funding of cataract surgeries through Sight First International.

The Technical Advisor to the Lions Club International Foundation Dr. S. Chandrashekar  Shetty (the then Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science) is taking keen interest in the development of this Hospital and is giving his invaluable suggestions and guidance to this Hospital. The Clubs International Foundation has come forward to donate US $ 44,640 (Rs. 21,83,362) is being released now out of which the following equipment’s have been purchased and the same are being dedicated to the people of Mysore City. The remaining part of the Funds will follow.

1)       YAG Laser

2)       Takagi Operating Microscope

3)       Topeon Slit Lamp

4)       Topeon Auto Rrefractometer

5)       Hydraulic Operation Table with Surgeon’s Chair

6)       Flash Autoclave

7)       Binocular/indirect Ophtalmoscope with 20 D Lens

8)       Goniscope Lens : 3 mirror, Single mirror, + 90 D Lens

9)       Schitoz Tonometer

10)     Direct Ophtalmoscope

11)     Streak Retinoscope

12)     Keratometer

The Rotory Foundation, Rotory Club of Harpenden, UK and the Rotory Mysore, have gifted Rs. 8,40,000/- for the purchase of Humphrey Field Analyser.

The Hospital has an Endovement Scheme in which any one can join by donating Rs. 5000/-. This will enable the Hospital to perform one sight saving surgery on a deserving poor patient free of cost in the name of Donor every year perpetually. This scheme has received tremendous response and as on date there are more than 250 donors who have contributed Rs. 5000/- each.

  Going around the Hospital, one is impressed with the striking cleanliness and sanitation maintained and when coming out, can see the majestic building speaking volumes, about the dynamic policies adopted by the succeeding Chairmen beginning with late Farrokh  K. Irani and followed by Sri. M.B. Appaya who nourished the dreams of setting up the Hospital as project to commemorate the centenary of racing in Mysore. During the tenure of the Chairman Mr. M.W. Chinnappa and Mr. Shame Gowda, one acre of land was acquired in Siddartha Nagar, Mysore for the construction of the Hospital. Their dreams come true in July 1994 and the Hospital was born when Dr. N. M. Srinivas was the Chairman. The Chairmanship, to the luck and advantage went to Dr. M.N. Doreswamy, who himself is an ophthalmologist. The Chairman and the trustees of M.R.C. Charitable Trust saw that the Hospital is set on the right rails so that it could make a smooth sailing in the coming years.

  Due to the growth of the Hospital, it was found necessary to increase the Bed Strength of the Hospital from 70 Beds to 100 Beds. The work on the second phase of the Hospital was therefore taken up on 05.08.98. When Sri. Suresh Dasappa was Chairman. Sri laid the foundation stone for the second phase. Swany Suresh Anandaji, president Sri. Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysore. The same was inagurated on 24.02.2001 by Dr. S. Chandra Shekar Shetty, the then Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University Health Sciences. This Floor is having an Air conditioned Operating Theatre and wards to accommodate another 30 patients. One can only think of the efforts taken by the successful Chairman Dr, M.N. Doreswamy. Sr. B.A. Nanaiah, Sri, D. Suresh Dasappa, sri, L. Vivekananda, Sardar K.B. Ramachandra Raje Urs  and Sri. B.G. Muthappa and the present Chairman Dr. C.D. Sreeenivasamurthy and the Trust Members and Committtee Members who stood with Chairmen, in seeing the project of this Hospital a grand success.

The Hospital is managed by the Board of Trustees of Mysore Race Club Charitable Trust and looked after by a Sub-Committee of Trustees Whomeeet periodically to discuss and take decisions on the affairs of the Hospital. The present Members of the Sub-Committee of Trustees are:

1)       Mr. C.P. Chinnappa, Chairman of the Sub-Committee

2)       Dr. M.N. Doreswamy, Member

3)       Sr. M.B. Appaya, Member

4)       Dr. N.M. Srinivas Member

5)       Dr. T. Vijay Kumar, Member

6)       Sri. B.Krishna Devaraja Urs, Member

7)       Sri. L. Vivekananda, Member

8)       Sri. R. Guru, Member

9)       Sri. Ramesh V. Soni, Member

The Hpospital has a decided team of Doctors lead by the Chief Ophthalmologist Dr. M.S. Usha, and a team of more than 40 members of staff who enthusiastically do their service for the cause of the Hospital.

The M.R.C. Hospital has ambitious future plans, which include converting the Hospital into a Post Graduate Institute, an Ophthalmology Training Centre and also establishing an Eye Bank.

The MRC Eye Hospital glittering like a precious Red Stone, amidst the impressive Greenish Garden, proclaims its Motto “Thamasoma Jyothirgamaya” (From Drakness to Light), and no doubt time will prove that it stands for it.