(Image source from: hindustantimes.com)

Dr Santosh G Honavar is the first Indian Ophthalmologist to receive the Life Achievement Honour Award which is the highest award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology which is the world’s largest association of eye specialists.

He is a Hyderabad- based Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeon and Ocular Oncologist, the Director, Medical Services of Centre for Sight Eye Hospitals and is an editor of Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology was founded in 1896 and has its headquarters in San Francisco, USA. Its mission is to protect sight and empower lives and has 32,000 professional members including around 90 percent of practicing ophthalmologists in the USA.

“Contributions to the Academy, its scientific and educational programs, and to the advancement of ophthalmology” was recognized by the academy and Dr Honavar was awarded with Life Achievement Honour Award. The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that “Dr Honavar’s contributions have been instrumental in supporting the Academy’s mission to protect sight and empower lives.”

Dr Honovar was awarded the Shanthi Swarup Bhatnagar Award which is one of the highest recognitions in Indian science, by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India as he has done a research on the childhood eye cancer Retinoblastoma, Jerry Shields Award by the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and was recently awarded with Peter Rogers Oration by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeons.

Dr Honavar is currently heading the Department of ophthalmic plastic surgery and Ocular Oncology and National Retinoblastoma foundation at Centre for Sight, Hyderabad and he leads the Medical Services Team and the educational wing - CFS Education.

By Shrithika Kushangi