Even in those days, Chennai’s medical facilities were on par with rest of the country

T.S. Surendran, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya I was born in Chennai in the 1950s, and have been living here since then. I grew up in T. Nagar and have fond memories of the place, which only had a few independent buildings back then. I lived just behind Pondy Bazaar, famous for street shopping and its wide variety of tiffins. Mysore bonda, basundhi, and thakkali chutney were the signature dishes of Shantha Bhavan. Geetha Cafe, which is still running, was popular even then, and so were the famous Nalli Silk Sarees.I did my schooling at the Madras Christian College School, which was multifaceted with sports, academics, and extra-curricular activities. We had a joyous time at the nearby Hansa Stores that sold ice cream. We used to board at Sterling Road. Those days, Chennai had trams and a good transport system, with buses connecting all parts of the city. The suburban trains helped me get to school. I would also take the train to the Kilpauk Medical College, where I had lots of wonderful experiences while learning medicine and life.The Marina, museums, Fort St. George, and university buildings were some of the places we visited often. Chennai is definitely a cosmopolitan city; even in those days, when I joined VHS and Vijaya Hospital, the medical facilities were on a par with the rest of the country, and medical tourism started way back in the ’80s. As an eye specialist, I have been with Sankara Nethralaya since its inception, and we had seen millions of patients. Published - September 05, 2026 12:41 am IST