Renowned playback singer the late S P Balasubrahmanyam is widely known for his melodious voice. But many people are not aware of his humane side. His association with Karnataka Hemophilia Society which runs a care centre for people suffering from Hemophilia, a genetic life-long disorder, at SS Layout in Davangere is the best example for it.
The singer not only performed in music concerts organised by the society to raise funds for its welfare activities for Hemophilia patients but also spent quality time with children suffering from it in the centre and sang songs for them.
He visited Davangere six times and he not only laid the foundation stone for the building of the Karnataka Hemophilia Society in 2001 but also inaugurated the same in 2010. Dr. Suresh Hanagawadi, a professor in the Pathology department of JJM Medical College in Davangere, founded the society in 1989, to provide treatment and rehabilitation facility and create awareness among people about the rare genetic disorder as he himself is suffering from it.
Speaking to DH, Dr. Suresh Hanagawadi said a team of his students went to Chennai and met SPB in 1999 and shared the initiatives of the society in treating people with such rare bleeding disorder and appealed to him to join hands with the society in its welfare activities. He readily accepted and performed in music concert on April 17 in Davangere on the occasion of World Hemophilia Day.
Similarly, he participated in music concerts held in Hubballi in 2005, Davangere in 2010 and Chitradurga in 2015. The programme was titled as Kusuma. (name of the disease in Kannada). SPB told that though he is not a doctor in medicine he is ready to heal all those suffering from the rare disorder through songs. He had a commitment and urge to do something for the welfare of the patients.
He was the patron chief and part of all the welfare activities carried out by the society. He contributed to the construction of an exclusive Hemophilia treatment centre in Davangere. So, his death is a huge loss not only to the organisation but to society.
Furnishing more details about the disease, he said Karnataka has six thousand Hemophilia patients and one lakh in the country. "We are focusing mainly on patients in north Karnataka. As many as 850 patients are registered with the society.
Around 150 patients are undergoing treatment in society at present in Davangere. It is a life-long bleeding disorder and only men are affected by it. The treatment facilities available for it are less in the country. So, we started it and SPB was an integral part of all welfare activities of the society."