Right to healthcare: City doctor on a nationwide yatra

A city-based doctor is embarking on a ‘Right to Health Yatra’ across the country.

Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi is on a mission to create awareness on the need to provide access to basic and affordable healthcare for all.

Dr Hebbi’s Yatra will commence from Bengaluru on January 26 and will travel to 15 places -- eight rural areas and seven cities covering places from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

The doctor has conducted over 70,000 medical camps and has attended to 35,000 patients so far, thanks to his Matru Siri Foundation.

Now, he wants to touch more lives with the countrywide journey.

“Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees right to life and education, but, not health. Even underdeveloped countries like Afghanistan guarantees the right to health for its citizens. India spends only 1.4% of its GDP for healthcare while countries like Bangladesh and the United States spend over 15% GDP for the same. India is seen as a developing country. We can move towards development only when we make healthcare accessible and affordable for all,” says Dr Hebbi.

As part of the Yatra, the doctor will conduct medical camps in rural areas. He has partnered with various organisations in cities where he will be delivering talks and participating in discussions in schools, colleges and universities, campaigning and deliberating on the right to healthcare.

“In the medical camps in rural areas, we will give a health card to people with basic details such as blood group, blood pressure, drug allergy, illness, age and the like. This will come in handy during emergencies,” the doctor says.

The Yatra is set to be flagged off from the Bangalore Press Club. Further on, Dr Hebbi will be travelling across the country in his mobile car clinic.