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This has come up as a result of recent visit of ARVO to three Indian eye hospital, L V Prasad Eye Institute-Hyderabad, Arvind Eye Hospital-Mumbai and Sankara Nethralaya, informed S S Badrinath, chairman Sankara Nethralaya.
"After the six day tour that ended on Wednesday, ARVO has proposed a joint research project with SN where the entire funding will come from US based National Eye Institute," said Badrinath.
This will be research and development project where Indian and US doctors will be working jointly on eye problems prevalent in these two countries.
"US has highly mechanised instruments while the Indian patient base is very diversified. This will provide great opportunities to the doctors of the two countries to come up with joint research proposals," he added. To begin with, the fund would be $1 million with the duration yet to be decided.
The department of science and technology, government of India and the US government is likely to sign a memorandum of understanding in this regard within next two months in Florida during the annual ARVO meeting.
The joint research could begin by 2005 end. The Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, the apex body of medical research will be actively involved in the process.
The funding shall be routed through the central government department. SN is likely to expand its Kolkata operation soon due to the increasing pressure of patients from the state as well as neighboring states and countries.
Currently, Rotary Sankara Nethralaya Eye hospital, the Kolkata branch of SN will be launching its 'community centre' within a month's time.
"We have expanded the current capacity of the Kolkata centre so to provide free treatment to poor patient coming to the hospital," said Badrinath.