Doctors pledge two hours a week for free care to poor

The
p og amme
seeks
to
each
patie ts
f om
low-i come
families,
u al
a eas
a d
u ba
slums
who
ofte
delay
t eatme t
because
of
cost
o
the
lack
of
access
to
specialists.

NEW
DELHI:
I
a
attempt
to
b idge
gaps
i
access
to
specialist
healthca e,
27
docto s
f om
ac oss
Delhi
have
pledged
two
hou s
of
f ee
co sultatio
eve y
week
fo
poo
a d
u de p ivileged
patie ts
u de
a
ew
volu tee
i itiative,
‘2
Gha te
Desh
Ke
Naam’.The
campaig
b i gs
togethe
specialists
f om
ophthalmology,
o cology,
o thopaedics,
psychiat y,
paediat ics,
ca diology,
gy aecology
a d
ge e al
medici e,
who
will
p ovide
co sultatio s
f ee
of
cost
th ough
two
hospitals
a d
two
cli ics,
as
well
as
via
telemedici e
fo
patie ts
i
emote
a d
u de se ved
a eas.
O ga ise s
said
the
i itiative
aims
to
e su e
that
fi a cial
co st ai ts
do
ot
p eve t
patie ts
f om
seeki g
timely
medical
advice.U like
a
ce t ally
fu ded
p og amme,
the
i itiative
is
bei g
u
collectively
by
pa ticipati g
hospitals
a d
cli ics,
each
co t ibuti g
volu ta ily
by
dedicati g
docto s’
time
a d
i f ast uctu e.
O ga ise s
said
the e
is
o
si gle
fu di g
age cy
o
i stitutio
leadi g
the
campaig .The
p og amme
seeks
to
each
patie ts
f om
low-i come
families,
u al
a eas
a d
u ba
slums
who
ofte
delay
t eatme t
because
of
cost
o
the
lack
of
access
to
specialists.

Besides
co sultatio s,
docto s
will
also
p ovide
t eatme t
guida ce
a d
follow-up
advice
whe e
equi ed.
Patie ts
will
be
able
to
egiste
di ectly
with
pa ticipati g
specialists
th ough
dedicated
co tact
umbe s
issued
by
each
speciality,
followi g
which
they
will
be
sc ee ed
a d
scheduled
fo
co sultatio s.O ga ise s
said
the
digital
compo e t
of
the
i itiative
would
allow
patie ts
f om
smalle
tow s
a d
villages
to
co sult
specialists
without
t avelli g
lo g
dista ces.
They
a e
also
eachi g
out
to
medical
associatio s
a d
healthca e
i stitutio s
ac oss
the
cou t y
to
e cou age
mo e
docto s
to
volu tee
a d
expa d
the
i itiative
beyo d
Delhi.”Ma y
patie ts
lose
visio
because
they
ca ot
access
timely
eye
ca e.
If
docto s
volu tee
eve
a
few
hou s
each
week,
we
ca
help
p eve t
avoidable
bli d ess
amo g
the
poo ,”
said
D
Ikeda
Lal,
se io
ophthalmologist
a d
medical
di ecto ,
Delhi
Eye
Ce t e.D
L
Toma ,
se io
o thopaedic
su geo
a d
fou de
of
Toma
Fou datio ,
said,
“Access
to
quality
o thopaedic
ca e
should
ot
depe d
o
a
pe so ‘s
ability
to
pay.
Two
hou s
of
volu ta y
se vice
eve y
week
ca
help
educe
avoidable
disability
a d
imp ove
quality
of
life.”

Highlighti g
the
eed
fo
accessible
me tal
healthca e,
D
Deepak
Raheja,
se io
psychiat ist
a d
di ecto ,
Hope
Ca e
I dia,
said,
“Me tal
healthca e
emai s
out
of
each
fo
ma y
because
of
fi a cial
a d
social
ba ie s.
We
wa t
to
e su e
that
those
i
eed
ca
access
p ofessio al
guida ce
without
wo yi g
about
cost.”D
Ashish
Gupta,
chief
of
medical
o cology
at
Ame ix
Multispecialty
Hospital,
said,
“Ca ce
patie ts
ofte
delay
t eatme t
because
of
fea
a d
fi a cial
co st ai ts.
Maki g
specialist
co sultatio s
f ee
ca
e cou age
ea lie
diag osis
a d
timely
t eatme t.”