G Nachiyar
G. Natchiar | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 15, 1940 Tamil Nadu, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Ophthalmologist |
| Known for | Co-founding Aravind Eye Care System |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2024) |
Govindappa Natchiar (born 15 September 1940) is an Indian ophthalmologist and co-founder of the Aravind Eye Care System. She serves as Director Emeritus of the Human Resource Department and Vice Chairman Emeritus of Aravind Eye Hospitals and Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai, Tamil Nadu.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Natchiar graduated from University of Madras in 1962 and completed her Master’s in Ophthalmology from Madurai Medical College in 1969. She pursued further specialization in ocular pathology at the University of Illinois Chicago and completed a non-clinical fellowship at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.[2]
Career
[edit]She began her career as an Assistant Professor at Madurai Medical College and became one of the founding members of the Govel Trust, which established Aravind Eye Hospital in 1976 with the mission to eliminate avoidable blindness through high-quality, affordable eye care.[3]
Natchiar played a central role in developing the Mid-Level Ophthalmic Personnel (MLOP) programme at Aravind, which empowers women from rural areas through structured training in eye care. She led the neuro-ophthalmology and cataract departments, initiated India's first microsurgical training programme for ophthalmologists, and coordinated community outreach camps to deliver eye care in remote areas.[4]
Under her leadership, Aravind expanded into a network of 14 hospitals, over 100 vision centres, and institutions like Aurolab and LAICO. After retiring from clinical work in 2011, she continues to contribute to Aravind’s growth while also managing organic farming at Aurofarm.[5]
Publications and roles
[edit]Natchiar has authored and contributed to over 16 books, including Visual Field Defects in Intracranial Tumours (1980), Anatomy of the Eye (1986), and Neuro-Ophthalmology: A Manual for Postgraduates (1995). She edited educational manuals for allied ophthalmic personnel and published over 55 research papers.[2]
She has held leadership roles in various institutions, including President of the Tamil Nadu Ophthalmic Association and Syndicate Member of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. She was also a consulting editor for the Journal of the Neurological Society of India and Managing Editor of Kannoli, a patient education journal.[6]
Awards and recognition
[edit]- Padma Shri by the Government of India (2024)[6]
- Lifetime Achievement – Centre for Sight, I Focus 2018[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Dr. G. Natchiar". Aravind Eye Care System. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b Balasubramaniam, Shantha (2023). "Powerful leadership: Dr G Natchiar". Community Eye Health. 36 (117): 339–341. doi:10.4103/IJO.IJO_103_23. PMC 10228910. PMID 36727315.
- ^ "Padma Shri winner Dr G Natchiar's efforts to take eye care to villages". The Times of India. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Aravind hospital's dedication, service to people the reason for Padma Shri award: Dr. Natchiar". The Hindu. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Aravind Eye Hospital transforming rural women into eye care professionals". The New Indian Express. 10 March 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Padma Shri Citation – Dr. G. Natchiar" (PDF). Padma Awards Portal. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Padma Awards 2024 announced". PIB. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- 1940 births
- Living people
- Indian ophthalmologists
- Women ophthalmologists
- Indian women medical doctors
- Medical doctors from Tamil Nadu
- Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine
- University of Madras alumni
- Harvard Medical School alumni
- 20th-century Indian medical doctors
- 21st-century Indian medical doctors
- 20th-century Indian women scientists
- 21st-century Indian women scientists
- Indian women scientists