Madurai’s Meenakshi Mission Hospital launches campaign for equality in medical access and quality of treatment

·         The ‘Aram Seiydhu Pazhagu’ campaign calls for providing similar access and treatment to everyone because suffering inflicted by a disease doesn’t differentiate between people

·         As part of the campaign, the Meenakshi Mission Hospital has extended its programs to Chennai for free treatment to children with cancer and cleft lip and palate

CHENNAI / October 22, 2016 – The 1,000-bed Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai, has initiated a statewide campaign to highlight the importance of erasing differences between rich and poor as well as urbanites and rural people in terms of access to healthcare and quality of treatment.

The campaign, called Aram Seiydhu Pazhagu (“Giving begins with you”), was formally launched by noted producer Kalaippuli S. Thanu, film director Seenu Ramasamy, producer Kathiresan, actor Vijay Sethupathi and actress Trisha Krishnan, in the presence of Meenakshi Mission Hospital Chairman Dr. S Gurushankar and several patients whose life was transformed through several charity programs run by the hospital.

As part of the campaign, the Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai, has extended its programs to Chennai for free treatment to children with cancer or those born with cleft lip and palate. Now, any child or infant from the city has access to free treatment for these diseases in Madurai. The hospital has conducted more than 10,000 cleft lip and palate surgeries free of cost till now, and is a leader in pediatric oncology in Tamil Nadu.

Talking about the rationale behind the campaign, Dr. S Gurushankar, Chairman, Meenakshi Mission Hospital, said: “The farther we are progressing in medical science, the more we are losing the human touch in treatment. Today’s healthcare system has become impersonal and detached from the patient. We look at ‘treatment’ from two different angles. One, how do we treat the disease? Two, how we treat the individual patient? We found the answer to these questions in the timeless phrase aram seiya virumbu (“have the intent to do the right deeds”) from the classic Tamil work ‘Aathichudi.’ And so was born the philosophy “Aram Seiydhu Pazhagu, the line tweaked to show that ‘doing the right thing’ is not merely a sentiment for doctors; it is their sworn duty. The campaign inspires the medical fraternity to not just provide service in good faith, but to do so in the spirit of goodness and spread the message of selfless service to the public at large.”

Added Dr. Gurushankar: “Disease is democratic. It doesn’t differentiate between people and the suffering it brings affects everyone the same. There is however a great gap in access to healthcare and quality of treatment between rich and poor, and city dwellers and villagers. While one enjoys quality medical care, the other has to make do with substandard and antiquated facilities. The need of the moment is to erase these differences and create a reality of equality in medical access and treatment. This is the wish, objective and ultimate aim of our new philosophy of Aram Seiydhu Pazhagu.”

On the occasion, five videos showcasing real-life stories of patients who have been treated over the years through the most famous charity programmes of the Meenakshi Mission Hospital – including hospice care, free cancer treatment for children, telemedicine and free cleft flip and palate surgery –were launched on the occasion. The beneficiaries, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds, were gifted a cheque of Rs 1 lakh each by Dr. S Gurushankar, Chairman, Meenakshi Mission Hospital, for their financial empowerment and well-being.

Commissioned by the hospital and filmed by noted film director Sudha Kongara, the videos showcase real-life stories of what can be achieved when modern healthcare is provided to all in the spirit of “doing the right thing.” They will help spread the message of providing medical services to all patients with a human touch and in good faith to promote the wellbeing of all.

About Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai

www.mmhrc.in

Since its inception, the Madurai-based Meenakshi Mission Hospital & Research Centre (MMHRC) has been delivering ‘world-class healthcare within everybody’s reach.’ This is in line with the hospital’s vision that ‘no man is too poor to afford first grade medical treatment.’ The hospital, which began as a 110-bed hospital, is today South Tamil Nadu’s biggest multi super-specialty healthcare institution.

With 1,000 beds and 37 specialties, the hospital caters to patients from southern parts of Tamil Nadu. It combines the tradition of Indian hospitality with cutting edge technology, clinical excellence and compassion to deliver quality healthcare at affordable cost to more than 1,000 walk-in patients every single day.

The Meenakshi Mission Hospital has a strong charitable component built into its services. It offers free cleft lip surgery and free cancer treatment for children. It is also one of the very few hospitals in India with a hospice built-in. Meenakshi Mission Hospital runs a unique telemedicine program that is widely appreciated in delivering quality care to rural areas.