A lifeline for those in dire need

A lifeline for those in dire need
Yamini Nair, TNN | Mar 5, 2012, 01.46AM IST
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Some years ago, a person in dire need of dialysis but with only Rs 20 in his pocket approached a hospital. A doctor there told him, "If you have just Rs 20, do a simple thing. Go buy two tender coconuts." For somebody who has suffered kidney failure, having two tender coconuts means instant death. Sounds apocryphal? The doctor was only throwing up his hands, suggesting that the patient didn't have money to live. Businessman and philanthropist Ravi V Melwani, who prefers to be known as RVM, says this incident inspired him to set up a hospital for the poorest of the poor.

"The poor can't afford to pay doctors but it doesn't mean they have no reason to live. This is what inspired me to open this free charitable hospital which has no cash counter," says the chairman of RVM Foundation. The abbreviation, he says, stands for 'Rejoice, Value for life and Make a difference'.

Located at Bannerghatta, the 125-bed RVM Humanitarian Hospital set up in 1998 caters to patients suffering from any ailment. Destitute or deprived people of all age groups are treated here. The hospital provides food, medicine, investigation, ambulance service, all for free. A team of social workers finds these patients from various parts of the city like slums, railway stations, bus stands, or through police stations. Its out-patient wing reaches out to the poor from surrounding villages. Expansion of the institution to a 1000-bed hospital is in full swing.

For a general hospital of this scale, specialized treatment is vital, be it in the fields of cancer, urology, cardiac or gynaecology. "We approach other hospitals like Nimhans, Kidwai, Jayadeva Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health for superspeciality care. They may charge registration fee. We pay that," says Lt Col (retd) Dr BTK Reddy, who looks after the hospital affairs.

"We have a 130-bed home to rehabilitate the destitute. Those who recover are employed in our own hospital as housekeeping staff. Those unable to work are shifted to RVM Humanitarian Home. If they are not employable, we send them to respective homes. We have tied up with several NGOs too," says Reddy.

A sense of mission guides the work ethic here. As RVM puts it, "It's understanding that we are here for a purpose, that nothing belongs to us, that when we reach out to the poorest of the poor we are making our life meaningful and purposeful..." He personally monitors the hospital affairs and interacts with patients. "The hospital chief reports to me. We have a weekly meeting called MAD or 'Make A Difference' where we review cases we have picked up during the week. Specially Adopted Cases (SAC) are monitored regularly," he says. An equally big challenge is to attend to patients' emotional problems too, he adds.

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