Namperumalsamy, Aravind Eye Hospital chairman, passes away in Madurai

The Madurai-based Aravind Eye Hospital’s chairman emeritus P. Namperumalsamy passed away at the age of 85 years, on Thursday (July 24, 2025).

Born in July 9, 1940, in a small hamlet with an agricultural background in Theni district, he did his MBBS from Madurai Medical College and moved to Boston, USA, to pursue higher education. He was the first retina specialist in the country. He practised in the Erskine Hospital Madurai, (now known as Government Rajaji Hospital) before starting his own venture, his elder son N. Venkatesh Prajna, said.

Dr. Namperumalsamy received the Padma Shri in 2007 for his immense contributions in the field of Ophthalmology. He received several awards through the course of an illustrious, and long career.

The cremation is expected to be performed at Ambasamudram in Theni district on Friday (July 25). He leaves behind his wife Nachiar and two sons – Venkatesh Prajna and Vishnu Prasad.

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Amar Agarwal, chairman, Dr. Agarwals Group of Eye Hospitals said Dr. Namperumalsamy was a doyen in Ophthalmology. “What the Aravind eye care group has created under his leadership is just phenomenal. His contribution is not only in the number of patients he treated, which was huge, but also the number of doctors he trained. All these doctors are treating patients all over the world and helping eradicate blindness. The legacy he has left being will remain forever.”

Mohan Rajan, chairman and medical director, Rajan Eye Care Hospital, said, “Dr NAM is no more, but his legacy lives on. Very rarely do we see a combination of a great teacher, great clinician, fantastic surgeon, great researcher, good speaker and an able administrator in one person, he was all of this,” he said.

Dr NAM, along with Dr Badrinath, was one of the earliest movers as far as the vitreoretinal surgery was concerned in this part of the world. “He is a great inspiration, a role model and a motivation for all the ophthalmologists in the country and across the world. He has literally put India in a prominent position in the world map of Ophthalmology,” he added.

C. Ramasubramanian, psychiatrist and founder M.S. Chellamuthu Trust & Research Foundation said Dr NAM was concerned for the differently-abled population. He was instrumental in popularising the ‘Arvind model’ which tried to take ophthalmological care to all people irrespective of passing capacity. Dr. NAM had also advocated for community psychiatry, in order to make it more accessible, Dr CRS said and recalled an event where the late President APJ Abdul Kalam was amazed during his visit to Aravind Eye Hospital over the seamless doctor-patient care rendered on a mass scale.

Hari Thiagarajan, managing director, Thiagarajar Mills said Dr NAM was Madurai’s pride. “He was an alumni of Thiagarajar College and a well wisher of the institution. He continued the visionary path set by the founder of Aravind Eye Care and provided the group with moral and outstanding leadership. Under his tutelage, Aravind expanded and grew in great measure. “He was a gentle person and care for the betterment of society especially, the rural India,” Mr. Thiagarajan added.