LVPEI Monthly Note: Giving Back | June 2026

News from our full member LV Prasad Eye Institute

A few days ago, our Founder chair, Dr Gullapalli N Rao was honoured with the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award in Surat, Gujarat for his outstanding contributions to healthcare. During his acceptance speech, he said something that deeply resonated with me. He said that this award recognised ‘…the values that I have lived my life by—empathy, service, and a commitment to improving lives.’ 

To everyone who knows Nag Rao, these words are the truest reflection of his life’s work: empathy for every person seeking eye care regardless of circumstance; excellent services delivered with humility and compassion; and above all, an unwavering commitment to enriching lives by helping everyone see better.

I believe that these values permeate the organisation he has founded and nurtured. Indeed, they are reflected in our Institute’s stated values: a ‘patient first’ approach, delivered with equity, integrity, and excellence. Every day, all of us across the network take inspiration from Nag’s example to do our best and uphold these values in ways both large and small.

One such example took place on the last day of May, when 168 staff from our campuses in Hyderabad voluntarily came together to donate blood. This annual blood donation ‘camp’ at the Kallam Anji Reddy campus, Hyderabad has now been organised for over 12 years.

Think about it: we are an eye care network. One might expect our outreach to involve activities like free eye check-ups, surgeries or spectacles for those in need. Yet, year after year, our staff choose to donate something even more fundamental, the gift of life itself. What makes this especially meaningful is that this initiative began as a voluntary activity by a group of committed clinical and administrative staff in 2014. It is not an institutional event and has continued solely because successive generations of colleagues have embraced it as their own.

Blood donation

Retinoblastoma is one of the most common cancers in children. It typically affects very young children, progresses rapidly, and without timely treatment, can be fatal even before their second birthday. Each year, India records an estimated 1000-1500 new cases, and our Operation Eyesight Universal Institute of Eye Cancer treats approximately 200-250 of these children annually.

Many of these children require chemotherapy, a primary tool to treat this aggressive cancer. Chemotherapy staves off rapidly dividing cancer cells, but has some powerful side-effects too. These drugs temporarily supress the bone marrow and its ability to produce red blood cells. In the process, the kids—many already impaired by poverty and malnutrition—develop anaemia, a severe shortage of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

For these children, blood transfusions are lifesaving interventions.

For over a decade now, LVPEI staff have been donating blood through the NTR Memorial Trust Blood Centre. The blood bank processes our donations and prepares customised paediatric blood units–standard blood units are too big–suitable for infants and young children. Thanks to this collaboration, our children receive an uninterrupted supply of appropriately sized blood products while minimizing wastage of this precious resource.

Collectively, LVPEI staff have donated more than 2,800 units of blood over the past decade. Every month, approximately 4 to 6 paediatric blood units are required for children receiving treatment at our institute. In addition, the OEU Centre for Eye Cancer ensures that the children receive a nutritious and iron-rich diet during their stay with us.

Living by our Values

This spirit of giving extends well beyond blood donation.

Retinoblastoma awareness has become synonymous with ‘Whitathon,’ our annual run that raises both awareness and funds for children battling this disease. Participants can choose distances ranging from a 3km ‘fun’ run to the 21km half-marathon, which is also an official qualifying event for the Hyderabad Marathon.

Now in its eighth year, Whitathon attracted more than 2000 participants in Hyderabad, including soldiers from the Indian armed forces.

Whitathon is also a key fundraising activity that brings in much needed funds to support treatment for children whose families cannot afford it. Once again, what fills me with pride is the remarkable involvement of our own colleagues. They volunteer their time, encourage their families and friends to participate, sponsor hundreds of runners–including over 150 soldiers this year–and run themselves.

Indeed, giving back has become part of the culture at LVPEI. Throughout the year, colleagues contribute not only their time and talent but also financial resources to strengthen our mission. My fundraising colleagues inform me that over the past three years alone, employees (including former staff) have donated nearly Rs 3 million to support the institute. The rehabilitation team has been running a volunteers WhatsApp group, which has LVPEI staff as well, as members. This group pitches in with funds or equipment to support the needs of people with severe vision loss. This commitment is truly extraordinary and reflects faith in our mission.

There is growing evidence that volunteering enriches communities, strengthens social bonds, enhances wellbeing and creates a deeper sense of purpose. Like many aspects of our work, our colleagues have developed their own organic ways of giving back and contributing to LVPEI’s mission beyond their formal responsibilities. We are blessed indeed to have so many of them choosing to give back to us with a measure we conventionally use for our donors: time, talent, and treasure. Their willingness to give back in so many different ways is one of our greatest strengths.

These acts of generosity by my colleagues renews my own sense of purpose. They remind me that the values articulated by our founder are not confined to speeches or plaques on our walls; they are alive in our actions, and my colleagues live by these values every single day.

My sincere congratulations to Nag Rao on receiving the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award. His contributions to eye care are immense, and the values he lives by continue to guide us at LVPEI.

My sincere thanks also to my colleagues Archana Bhargava, Chaitanya Nelluri, Vijaya Laxmi Ganjai, and the many others who come together every year to make the blood donation camps a success. I also thank Swathi Kaliki and her team for making Whitathon a success year after year. It is a privilege to work alongside them.

-Prashant Garg

Date: 29 June 2026
Source: LV Prasad Eye Institute