Dr Reshmi Pramod to attend special Independence Day function at Rashtrapati Bhavan

NEW DELHI: Dr Reshmi Pramod, an Ayurveda doctor who lost her eyesight completely but went on to support children with disabilities through specialised treatment, care and rehabilitation, will be among five persons with disabilities invited to a special Independence Day function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday. President Droupadi Murmu is hosting the special function to honour five individuals who have overcome the challenges associated with disability and achieved notable milestones in their lives.

Dr Reshmi lost her eyesight completely in 2004 after developing macular degeneration at the age of 27. She was practising as an Ayurveda doctor at the time. Macular degeneration is a serious condition affecting the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for clear vision. After losing her eyesight, Dr Reshmi was unable even to see her daughter's face.

She later rebuilt her life by establishing Jeevaniyam Ayurveda Hospital and Research Centre at Thammanam in Ernakulam. The institution provides treatment, care and rehabilitation for children with disabilities, including autism, integrating Ayurveda with other approaches. Dr Reshmi is the Managing Director of Jeevaniyam. The hospital was established in 2010.

The other invitees to the function are Amar Hussain from Jammu and Kashmir, Kamakhya Prasad Das from Odisha, Poonam Shruti from Madhya Pradesh and Supriya Sudha from Assam. They, too, are persons with disabilities who have overcome challenges and achieved notable accomplishments.

For Dr Reshmi, Rashtrapati Bhavan is a place she had known during her childhood only through pictures in books and images shown on Doordarshan.

Dr Reshmi is the daughter of Dr M. Bhaskaran, owner of Ashwini Hospital in Koyilandy, Kozhikode, and Thankam. Her parents, husband Adv. T.P. Pramod and daughter Diya, an MBBS student at Malabar Medical College in Kozhikode, have travelled to Delhi to attend the evening function.