Sankara Eye Hospital and CUHK Partner to Advance Paediatric Eye Care and Myopia Treatment
Sankara Eye Hospital, India and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) recently signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionize paediatric eye care and myopia treatment, marking a major step forward in clinical collaboration, research and education. Researchers from India and Hongkong commit to collaborate to reduce childhood blindness.
Dr. Kaushik Murali, President – Medical Administration, Quality & Training, Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore signed a landmark MoU with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at CUHK. This historic international alliance focuses on innovating technological approaches to delay the progression and prevent the onset of refractive errors, especially myopia, while also targeting complex challenges surrounding retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and ocular tumours.
Underlining the importance of the collaboration, Prof. Clement Tham, Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, CUHK shared, “This MOU between CUHK Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Sankara Eye Hospital reflects our shared commitment to advancing world-class ophthalmic research and education. We believe this international collaboration will foster innovation and deliver meaningful benefits to patients and communities globally.” While Prof. T.R. Raju, Director of Research at Sankara Eye Hospitals, said “By harnessing the complementary expertise of both institutions, we aim to generate pioneering knowledge that will drive transformative advances in eye care. Together, we aspire to create innovations that will not only elevate clinical practice but also bring lasting benefit to humanity.”
This international alliance focuses on innovating approaches to delay the progression and prevent the onset of refractive errors, especially myopia. It also targets complex challenges surrounding retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and ocular tumours. Prof. Pang and Prof. Jason Yam from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at CUHK, emphasized that combining the institutions' complementary expertise will generate pioneering knowledge, elevate clinical practice, and bring lasting benefits to patients globally.
Dr. Divya Caculo, Consultant Pediatric Ophthalmologist, Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore highlighted “Fortunately, recent ophthalmic developments are transforming care. Evidence-based myopia frameworks, such as low-dose atropine therapy and specialized optical designs, are actively slowing near-sightedness in children. Genetic testing facilitates precise profiling of inherited retinal disorders, while wide-field retinal imaging paired with advanced anti-VEGF therapies has revolutionized ROP treatment for premature infants. I view AI-enabled screening tools as a foundational paradigm shift, allowing clinicians to map and detect disorders at vastly earlier stages to bridge accessibility gaps in underserved communities.”
This pioneering international alliance has a focus to drive accelerate technology-driven clinical applications and foster educational exchanges that will profoundly impact the diagnosis and management of these conditions and the overall well-being of children worldwide.
Dr. Namratha Hegde, PhD, Optometry Faculty & Lead – Institutional Research, Sankara Eye Hospital said “Integrating routine, school-based vision screenings directly into school health ecosystems ensures swift clinical referrals, dramatically diminishing the societal burden of avoidable blindness. This intervention is critical as the prevalence of myopia skyrockets globally among youth due to
prolonged near-work focus, increased digital screen exposure, and reduced outdoor time. concluded that resolving these inequities demands systemic coordination among medical communities, educators, policymakers, and families to guarantee a brighter, clearer future for children everywhere.”
Got a story that Healthcare Executive should dig into? Shoot it over to arunima.rajan@hosmac.com—no PR fluff, just solid leads.