Centre of Excellence for Dry Eye Inaugurated at Pristine Eye Hospitals
Jayesh Ranjan: “Dry Eye is a growing public health concern; it must be tackled early”
Hyderabad, July 31, 2025: Pristine Eye Hospitals inaugurated Hyderabad’s first Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Dry Eye on Wednesday evening—marking a pioneering step in combating the rising incidence of Digital Eye Strain and Dry Eye Disease (DED).
The CoE was formally inaugurated by Dr. Chinnababu Sunkavalli, Oncology Surgeon and Founder of Grace Cancer Foundation, along with Mr. Naved Alam Khan, CEO, Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC).
Joining virtually, Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, lauded the initiative and said, “Telangana is committed to improving air quality and reducing pollution in Hyderabad. In a recent high-level review chaired by Chief Minister Sri Revanth Reddy, we resolved to treat areas within the Outer Ring Road as Urban Telangana. This vision of a pollution-free city directly aligns with Pristine Eye Hospitals’ efforts. Dry Eye is an emerging public health issue, and I appreciate Dr. C. Jagadesh Reddy for launching timely initiatives like ‘Blink Break’ and ‘No More Screen Time’. Let us act now before the issue becomes unmanageable.”
Dr. Chinnababu Sunkavalli expressed his intent to collaborate with the Pristine Vision Foundation to promote eye health at the grassroots.
Mr. Naved Khan appreciated the hospital for conducting free eye screenings for over 700 home guards within the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, as part of their commitment to community well-being.
The hospital also unveiled its non-profit arm—Pristine Vision Foundation, along with two major public awareness campaigns:
- Blink Break – Encouraging screen users to take conscious blinking breaks
- No More Screen Time – A city-wide campaign promoting digital eye health and early detection
Both campaigns are part of the hospital’s observance of Dry Eye Month, held every July to spread awareness about this often-overlooked condition.
Dr. C. Jagadesh Reddy, Cornea, Cataract & Refractive Surgeon and Founder of Pristine Eye Hospitals, emphasised that Dry Eye is no longer age-related—it is a digital-age lifestyle epidemic.
“We are witnessing an alarming rise in Dry Eye among tech professionals and teenagers. Recent studies reveal that 70% of IT professionals and 40% of urban teenagers report Dry Eye symptoms. One in three tech workers suffers from moderate to severe DED. Teenagers using screens for over four hours a day are twice as likely to develop Dry Eye,” Dr. Reddy said.
He termed the condition a “Blink Crisis” putting screenagers and techies at serious risk.
“From work to entertainment and education to social interaction, we are glued to screens—blinking less and straining more. This silent suffering needs urgent attention,” he added.