Dr. Tony received his initial ophthalmology training in England, where he did his Diploma in Ophthalmology(DO Lon.)
Dr. Tony began his
career in India as an Assistant Professor at Madurai Medical College
under the renowned Prof. Late Dr. G. Venketasamy. He completed his MS
ophthalmology at Madurai. There, he established the Orthoptic and Pleoptic
Department, along with South India's first dedicated training school for squint
treatment. In 1969, he joined Little
Flower Mission Hospital in Angamaly—a small village in Kerala at the time.
Starting with a five-bed eye wing, he expanded it into the 200-bed CBM
Ophthalmic Institute, now respected across India and internationally. In 1971,
he launched free eye camps and school screening programs to combat preventable
blindness in Kerala. Through the Eye Bank Association he founded in 1970, he
collected thousands of donor corneas, restoring sight via transplantation for
countless patients. He also pioneered advanced procedures in Kerala, including
intraocular implantation, refractive surgery, keratoplasty, and squint
surgery—drawing patients from across the state, India, and abroad. Dr. Tony
served as Editor of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO) from 1987 to 1992
and was unanimously elected President of the Indian Ophthalmological Society in
1994. He also held roles as an executive member of the Indian Medical Council
and a member of the Medical Faculty at M.G. University. His contributions
earned him the Padma Shri from the President of India, the B.C. Roy Award from
the Medical Council of India, and the papal title of “Chevalier” from His
Holiness Pope Benedict XVI—among other national honors from leading Indian
professional organizations. In 2011, the KCBC Media Commission awarded him the
“Gurupooja Puraskaram,” and the Jacobite Syrian Church bestowed the “St.
Athanasius Award.” In 2008, he founded his own hospital in Aluva, now run by
his son, Dr. Freddy T. Simon. He also serves as Founder President of Kerala
Action Force, a charitable organization focused on first-aid training, youth
development, disability rehabilitation, pain and palliative care, promoting
voluntary blood and eye donation, and health education. His Family Trust
supports further initiatives, including aid for needy children, homes for the
destitute, and rehabilitation for the underprivileged.
He started his work as an Assistant Professor at Madurai Medical College, under the famous and world renowned Professor, Late Dr.G.Venketasamy. There he started the Orthoptic and Pleoptic Department and a training school for the treatment of Squint cases, the first of its kind in South India at that time. In the year 1969 he joined the Little Flower Mission Hospital at Angamaly, then a small village in Kerala. From a 5 bedded eye wing, he developed the ophthalmology department to the 200 bedded CBM Ophthalmic Institute which has become famous all over India and abroad.
He started free eye camps in 1971 and also school screening programs to eradicate preventable blindness in Kerala. Through the Eye Bank Association which he started in 1970, he could collect thousands of donor corneas and has given sight to thousands of blind people by corneal transplantations. He pioneered the starting of several new types of surgeries in Kerala like intra ocular implantation, refractive keratoplasty, squint, corneal transplantation etc. and attracted patients not only from different parts of Kerala and India but also from abroad.
He served as the Editor of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (I J O) for 5 years from 1987 to 1992. Then he was elected unanimously as president of the Indian Ophthalmological Society in 1994. He also served as an executive member of the Indian Medical Council and as a member of the Medical Faculty of the M.G. University. He was honored with the Padmasree Award by the President of India and the B.C. Roy Award by the Medical council of India. He was also decorated with the title ‘Chevalier’, the highest Papal honor by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. He has received several national awards from many professional organizations in India. He was honoured by the K.C.B.C. Media Commission, by the ”Gurupooja Puraskaram” in 2011 and decorated by the Jacobite Syrian Church with the “St.Athanasius Award”. In 2008 Dr. Tony started his own hospital at Aluva, run and managed by his son Dr. Freddy T Simon. He is also the founder president of Kerala Action Force, a charitable organization active in training people on first aid, youth training, rehabilitation for the disabled, pain and palliative clinics, promotion of voluntary blood and eye donation and health education. He has also a Family Trust which undertakes several charitable works by way of sponsorship for needy children, construction of houses for the destitute and rehabilitation of the disabled and underprivileged.
