JOIN USG Shankar, founder president of G Shankar Family Trust, celebrated his 63rd birthday on Thursday by disbursing demand drafts worth Rs two crore to 1,022 patients suffering from cancer and kidney related ailments in six hospitals spread across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
For the last three years, Shankar celebrated his birthday by disbursing DDs to patients suffering from cancer and kidney failures. Shankar symbolically presented the DDs to patients in district Wenlock hospital instilled courage in the patients.
“None should fear, the society will help you,” he stressed.
Recollecting that he had overcome poverty by dint of sheer hard work he urged Wenlock hospital to identify the needy patients.
He also urged doctors to provide quality health care to the patients who are poorest among the poor. He also offered all help possible to set up a Palliative care centre in hospital premises.
Shankar also expressed disappointment on Wenlock hospital for returning as many as 28 DDs worth over Rs six lakh to him a year ago.
“About 28 DDs were not disbursed to the patients. If Wenlock hospital returns the DDs again, I will be forced to take up the issue with the Health Minister,’’ he warned.
District Wenlock hospital Superintendent and District Surgeon Dr Rajeshwari Devi H R told DH that the hospital made efforts to ensure that the DDs reached the beneficiaries.
“The beneficiary patients had returned to their respective villages. Efforts to track them had not yielded results. Even DDs sent to their addressed returned,” she clarified.
Beneficiaries in T MA Pai hospital in Udupi (26 kidney patients), Chinmaya hospital in Kundapur (26 kidney patients), 44 cancer and kidney patients will be receiving DDs on Friday, sources said.