Dr. Jai Kelkar – Know Your President

Know your President : Dr Jai Kelkar

Dr. Jai Kelkar is Medical Director of National Institute of Ophthalmology, (NIO) Pune which is one of the very few Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited institutes in India. Located in Pune, it is a high volume tertiary eye care centre and is also a post graduate teaching and research institute. The charity wing of the hospital has done more than 15,000 eye surgeries free of cost. Apost graduate teacher and guide, she has mentored more than 30 post graduates and fellows. NIO is host to International Council of Ophthalmology fellowship. Seven international fellows from Africa have been trained so far. Born in 1977, Dr Jai Kelkar completed her MBBS from Pune in 1998. She did her post graduation in ophthalmology in 2002 (DOMS, FCPS) and Diplomate of national board (DNB) in 2004. She was awarded the International Council of Ophthalmology fellowship in Paediatric Ophthalmology UZ Ghent Belgium in 2004. She was awarded FRCS from Glasgow in 2017 and fellowship of the American college of surgeons (FACS) 2018. She is also FRCO (London). Dr. Jai Kelkar is specialist in Phacoemulsification and paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus surgery. She has published more than 45 papers and case reports in peer reviewed; indexed journals. She has been invited to deliver talks at various national and international conferences as a guest speaker. Additionally, she has published a book “Eye Care for Kids “for educating the general population about the common ophthalmic ailments afflicting children.

Awards and recognitions: International hero award by AIOS 2022. Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award 2021. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology Gold award 2018. Best video by Cornea Society of India 2019. Late Anandibai Joshi Puraskar for excellence in community service 2016.

Positions Held: Organizing Secretary of the Strabismological society of India annual conference in 2013. Ex e c u ti v e c ommitt e e memb e r o f t h e Strabismological Society of India : 2011-2014. Member of Editorial board of the Indian Journal of ophthalmology (IJO) for Paediatric ophthalmology section. President of Pune Ophthalmic Society 2022-23.

Hobbies: Sports and Fitness – she is a marathoner and has the completed two full marathons including one world major marathon- Chicago in 2019 . Likes painting and writing in her spare time.