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E-Paper: Rural Health A Life Time Noble Mission
E-Paper: Rural Health A Life Time Noble Mission
WWW.ABDULKALAM.COM
Vol. 2, Issue : 6
Rural
Health a Innovate to empower agriculture
life time
Mission
Help
in the interior Karnataka, a place called Bet
your After addressing 5000 students, teach- Geri, Gadag District and I attend 250 pa-
body &
Mind ers and parents at BVB Engineering Col- tients everyday. Interested Dr. Kalam
lege at Hubli said, that is the
during the inau- place I would
guration of Dr. like to visit and
RH Kulkarni me- see. Dr. Solo-
morial lecture mon face be-
OATH complex on 6 comes bright
For Medical Students
Feb 2009, and happily
1. I love my medical profession a Dr. Kalam trav- told that Sir, if
noble mission. elled for 1 hour you visit that
2. I will follow the motto Let my and reached interior rural
care, remove the pain and bring Lakshmeswar to area, the entire
smiles. interact with village will be
3. I will be a lifelong learner, I will
the students of blessed and
practice what I learn and I will
Smt. Kamala & Shri Venkappa M Agadi he said, sir it is only 20 minutes from this
train my team to be competent.
College of Engineering & Technology, place. OH! Then I will come today evening
4. I will deliver quality care with
high standards irrespective of
Lakshmeswar. When he landed, he itself, Dr. Kalam indicated his interest to
whom I am treating. met Dr. Solomon, welcoming him with visit that place. A happy rural doctor im-
5. I will not introduce any folded hands amidst of other persons mediately rushed to the CSI Hospital for
diagnostic pain. in the queue. Seeing his humility, Dr. receiving Dr. Kalam. After all the functions
6. If any patient is unhappy with Kalam enquired in his usual inimitable are over in the day time, Dr. Kalam drove
my treatment, I will find out the style, What do you do? He replied, straight to the CSI Hospital at Bet Geri.
causes and treat the patient with Sir, I am serving in a rural CSI hospital Continued on Page 2
utmost care and free of cost.
7. I will work with integrity and Special gene causing cardiomyopathy in Indian population
succeed with integrity.
8. I will continuously work for Nature Genetics Journal has published online on 18 January 2009 about the findings of a typical gene called MYBPC3 or Myosin Binding Protein C
complete cure and social which is present in over 50.5 million Indians. This gene is set to be responsible for the occurrence of heart attack
acceptance of all leukoderma, among the Indian population when they reached around 45 years of age. This important finding has come from Dr.
Kumarasamy Thangaraj of Centre for Cellular and Molecu- lar Biology, Hyderabad and 15 others including Perundurai
HIV AIDS and leprosy patients.
S Dhandapany from Madurai Kamaraj University, Sakthivel Sadayappan from Molecular Cardiovascular Biology,
9. I will make my profession, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA. Based on this finding, the heart care
patients my passion and service experts assembled here should discuss the possibility of screening of this gene among members of the families
to patients my obsession. which have heart patients. The family members who have been found to have this gene can be asked to follow a
strict vegetarian diet schedule along with aerobic exercises and meditation. A healthy life style change can make a good impact on the heart.
Glimpses of BESEL
Rural health a life time Noble Mission .
Mission Hospital
When we landed there, it was around 7 pm, large number of patients was waiting
over there, hospital staff, doctors, patients and the local people has thronged the hospital
hearing the news that Dr. Kalam is visiting, and gave resounding welcome.
Dr. Solomon and the team of doctors gave a brief presentation about the vision and
mission of the hospital. The Basel mission started in 1834 in Basel, Switzerland, sent its mis-
sionaries to India. By 1901 the Mission was very active in north Karnataka. In those times,
plague and cholera epidemics had broken out, malaria and malnutrition took a heavy toll of
the people and famine conditions prevailed. In response to this acute need for healthcare in
this region, the mission established the hospital in Betgeri in 1902. For decades, the hospital
served by the doctor missionaries, provided only healthcare that was available in those
times. The hospital had done tremendous service to the poor as most of the treatment was
done free of cost, funded by the Basel mission. The Hospital is still fondly called the
German hospital by the local people, because of the German doctors who served here.
The Hospital has an Orphanage and a Polio Home.
The hospital was run mainly by doctor missionaries from Europe, till the early
1970s. Once the missionary doctors left, the hospital was no longer funded by the mission
and was expected to generate its own funds. It was recommended for closure in the late
1970s. An Indian Gynecologist, lady doctor who served from 1980-1985 helped in keeping
the hospital running with her selfless services. Since then many Indian doctors have served
in the hospital, some as full time consultants and many as part time consultants. Dr. Solomon
Chelliah, after graduation, he worked as Medical Officer in this hospital from 1980-83 and
then specialized in General Medicine at C.M.C Vellore, had joined the hospital as Physician
and Medical Superintendent in 1986, when there was no secondary care hospital in the re-
gion. Rural people were still dying due to poor obstetric care, poor immunization facilities,
snake bites, suicidal poisonings and infectious diseases. This is the time; the doctors under
the leadership by the Dr. Solomon decided to upgrade this hospital as a secondary hospital
with good Intensive Care Unit with ventilator facility, In-patients facilities with both general
and private wards, X-Ray unit and Hemo-Dialysis unit, Neo-natal unit. Modernization of
laboratory, pharmacy and operation theatre with facilities for basic minimal invasive surgery
was realized in a phased manner over the years.
March 12, 2009
Dr. Kalam meets polio Rural health a life time Noble Mission ..
affected students at
The challenge was how to do this, keeping the cost still affordable, so that it is not out of
BESEL
reach for the common man. This objective of setting up a good secondary care centre has
been met to a large extent, in a phased manner over the years. Dr. Solomon briefed that
around 250 patients are attended to on a typical day. Dr. Kalam went around the hospital
wards, met the patients, and visited the facilities of the polio home.
The experience was very unique. In the sense, in a rural area how this hospital is pro-
viding health-care to the people with latest medical facilities at a very less cost. The in-
In the polio home he patients ward is having almost 100% occupancy. The hospital has managed to keep the cost
met and interacted with of the treatment very less and yet improve on its infrastructure. This is possible by:
around 50 students who 1. The Specialist consultation charges are kept at Rs. 25/- for more than 20 years, making
were affected by Polio. an OPD consultation afford-
Dr. Kalam promised to able to even to the poorest.
arrange an FRO camp by 2. The doctors are expected to
the Nizam institute of work, more than the usual 8
Medical sciences, Hy- hours and cover night duty as
derabad and DRDO, so well when the need arises.
that specialists doctors 3. The I.C.U bed charges are only
will examine the polio Rs.100/- and when other fa-
affected children and cilities like Monitors, Oxygen,
carryout any surgical Ventilators are required, extra
treatment if required charges are made.
before the fitment of 4. Some hospital staff act as mul-
FRO calipers. All the chil- tipurpose workers, like the x-ray technician also works as a registration counter clerk.
dren were welcomed Dialysis technician also backs up an OT technician when needed.
this announcement by 5. All visiting specialists and superspecialists, working part time for the hospital are
Dr. Kalam. expected to charge at a minimum, considering the economic background of the pa-
tients. Since many of these doctors have established their name in the city due to
Children were standing platform provided to them by the Hospital at the beginning of their careers, they do
in a queue to ask Dr. not grudge their services to the poor.
Kalam questions and 6. Every doctor has to see the patient in OPD and in-patients. Administration is an add-
asked number of ques- on responsibility, which the doctor has to perform in addition to the clinical work.
tions with reference to 7. The Hospital believes in the
Chandrayan Mission, philosophy, that one is a doc-
nuclear deal, developed tor first and then a specialist.
India where Dr. Kalam All specialists also work as
answered them one by Medical Officers when the
one. need arises.
8. A hospital run pharmacy and
laboratory generates income
for the hospital, which is used
to subsidize patient care.
9. It is the general policy of the
hospital, that the staff should
be paid well and that no one should feel exploited.
March 12, 2009