I got to know about the Tanker Foundation in Chennai recently. The foundation was set up in 1993 by a group of like minded people including the renowned nephrologist Dr. Georgi Abraham.
The foundation provides free dialysis to those who cannot afford it. They also provide free fistula surgeries and have a number of other facilities like supply of erythropoietin, lab tests and even transplants to the needy.
They started off by associating with other hospitals and funding dialysis sessions there. They gradually set up their own centers and are currently serving 140 patients.
They have a fund raiser every year and have the famous Tamil cinema actor Suriya as their brand ambassador. Suriya has also contributed generously for this cause.
They also have a branch in Madurai.
Foundations such as these are really life saving. There are so many people who canot afford the huge, week after week costs of dialysis and simply give up and die. Due to these trusts, they can at least hope to continue to live. As a country, we in India really need to reflect on what our priorities should be.
Can we really afford to spend money on things like the Commonwealth Games (a large part of which goes into the pockets of our shameless politicians and bureaucrats, anyway) when the majority of our population cannot even afford basic healthcare?
The foundation provides free dialysis to those who cannot afford it. They also provide free fistula surgeries and have a number of other facilities like supply of erythropoietin, lab tests and even transplants to the needy.
They started off by associating with other hospitals and funding dialysis sessions there. They gradually set up their own centers and are currently serving 140 patients.
They have a fund raiser every year and have the famous Tamil cinema actor Suriya as their brand ambassador. Suriya has also contributed generously for this cause.
They also have a branch in Madurai.
Foundations such as these are really life saving. There are so many people who canot afford the huge, week after week costs of dialysis and simply give up and die. Due to these trusts, they can at least hope to continue to live. As a country, we in India really need to reflect on what our priorities should be.
Can we really afford to spend money on things like the Commonwealth Games (a large part of which goes into the pockets of our shameless politicians and bureaucrats, anyway) when the majority of our population cannot even afford basic healthcare?
Comments