Doctor gets Rajyotsava award for free service

Dr P Mohan Rao, now 78, runs a hospital in Hoskote, primarily catering to patients from suburban areas along a busy highway out of Bengaluru.

Dr P Mohan Rao (78), was honoured with a Rajyotsava Award on November 29 for his work in the field of rural healthcare.

Dr Mohan, who retired as a director of medical services, HAL in 1998, was also involved in social service during that period. He adopted the villages of Kaggadasapura and Chinnapanahalli, which were in a pitiable state, and provided the villagers with free medical treatment for nearly 12 years.

He also adopted an orphanage with 120 children and gave them free treatment.

He is now the executive director of M V J Medical College and Research Hospital in Hoskote, which he started in 2001.

“At the time of my retirement, the founder of Venkatesha Education Society (VES), M V Jayaraman, passed away. His son, M J Mohan, approached me and told about his father’s vision of starting a hospital for rural service. I joined the trust shortly afterwards and we started MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital. In 2001, we commissioned the medical college hospital,” says Dr Mohan, adding that M J Mohan is now the chairman of the medical college.

The hospital provides free treatment to around 400-500 villagers without any charges for routine investigation, treatment, consultation, room facilities or operation.

For specialised investigations like MRI and CT scan, that they charge one-fourth of the market rate. Apart from which, breakfast, lunch and dinner are also free for in-patients. The 900-bed hospital has no special ward and has only a general ward.

“Since 2001, we have had 4.5 lakh in-patients and 49 lakh out-patients. 1.2 lakh major surgeries have been carried out and about 75,000 people have been screened at the health camps we have conducted in Hoskote, Malur, Chintamani, Srinivaspur, Devanahalli and Sidlaghatta taluks,” says Dr Mohan.

He adds that almost 5000 people have benefited from the free medicines we give out in the camps under the scheme.

Where do you find resources for social work?

This kind of a hospital doesn’t generate revenue. The trust pumps in some money and we also set apart an amount from the student fees we collect, for the maintenance of the hospital. We have recently started neurosurgery and consultation for rural people in collaboration with BRAINS hospital.

What are the challenges involved?

The challenges are mainly to create awareness among the rural people. After doing sample surveys in five to six villages, I found that diseases like diabetes and hypertension are not recognised in rural areas. If undetected, these diseases can slowly advance and lead to complications. Even those who are aware don’t go for check-ups or take medicines regularly. There is urgent need to create awareness in such areas about the importance of health, health checkups and prevention of major diseases and complications.

Is it also a challenge to convince specialists to come to a suburban hospital?

It is difficult to bring super-specialists because our centre is 45 km away from the city. But we do have a few specialists on board. Currently, we have a neurology consultant;
a cardiologist and a consultant (from Manipal Hospital, Whitefield) and a plastic surgeon.

What are your future plans?

I want to make people aware of the importance of regular checkups as well as the need for controlling diabetes and hypertension. I also want to organise regular health camps for rural people and provide free medicines in these camps as far as possible.