Sureka Trust's intervention in providing affordable healthcare

Online, September 3, 2009 (Newswire.com) - For Immediate Release
Sureka Public Charity Trust has been committed to easing the suffering of the poor and ailing in Delhi since 2005. As a philanthropic organization, their main objective is to help the underprivileged by providing prescribed medication and healthcare at minimal costs not only to the residents of the capital but also to the thousands of ailing who perforce come to Delhi with their relatives for expensive medical treatment and emergencies.

As a natural step toward providing speedy medical aid to the maximum number of people afflicted with illness and lack of resources for comprehensive treatment, the Trust proposed to set up an expanded outlet of 'Helpline Pharmacy' at AIIMS in 2005. While AIIMS provides state-of-the-art diagnostic and medical facilities at nominal cost to patients from economically weaker sections, the Trust proposed to complement the treatment by providing medicines, surgicals and rehabilitation equipments at subsidized prices (50% of MRP or less) via a designated Helpline Pharmacy at AIIMS. The implementation of this proposal would have directly saved AIIMS and the patients Rs. 20-30 lakh per day, i.e., approximately Rs. 7 to 10 crores per month. The expected initial cost of more than Rs.10 crores would also be met by the Trust.

Sureka Public Charity Trust established 'Helpline Pharmacy', a charitable pharmacy outlet in Yusuf Sarai in 2005 with the vision to economically support poor patients coming to Delhi from all over India with life threatening diseases. All the items (from needle to ventilator) sold by them are guaranteed and purchased from the best manufacturers and authorized distributors. Medicines in stock are for any and all ailments and diseases. Discounts range from 50% to free, unlimited stock for the very needy. Surgical items like various catheters, sutures, suction machines, BP monitors, glucometers, bone marrow needles, et al., are available at 50% of the MRP. Rehabilitation equipments like wheel-chair, walking-sticks and musculo-skeleton supports are also available at the same discount.

Besides their core area of intervention, which is supplying medicines, care and rehabilitation to the economically deprived through 'Helpline Pharmacy', hospitals and around 200 other charitable institutions, the Trust has also ventured into other areas of community welfare like constructing a dharamshala, (Sureka Vishram Sadan) opposite AIIMS with 250 rooms for attendants of patients admitted in AIIMS or other government aided hospitals. The Trust also runs a hygienic and well-maintained canteen on the top floor of Sureka Vishram Sadan where free or subsidized food is packed and provided for all patients and their attendants.

After 3 years of submission of the proposal, the Director of AIIMS, Prof. Venugopal appointed a committee in April 2008 to examine the proposal. The committee gave its favorable findings to the Director for implementation in June 2008 and the Director approved the recommendation of the special committee. Subsequently, the estate office administration of AIIMS earmarked an area for a Helpline Pharmacy chemist shop. But since the past 14 months the proposal has been withheld by the office of the Deputy Director of Administration at AIIMS without any reason being assigned for the same, thereby depriving deserving patients the financial benefit of Rs.7 to 10 crores per month and thus have lost over Rs. 100 crores of relief to their own patients since then.

As per survey reports many poor patients discontinue crucial treatments due to expensive costs of medicines. Sureka's potential aid to patients if the proposal goes through is estimated to be in the region of Rs 7.5 crores every month but AIIMS has failed to take action in this regard for 14 months even after their committee's and Director's approval of the proposal.

AIIMS is one of the largest and well-known hospitals of the country. It is spread over an area of 150 acres with acres of land for car, scooter and cycle parking, toilets, banks and general stores. A Super Bazaar selling medicines was closed a decade ago and since then there has been no pharmacy on the premises of the largest hospital in India. Patients from all over India go to AIIMS for treatment of dangerous diseases. These patients require medicines and at times even surgical equipment. Patients themselves or their relatives have to rush outside the AIIMS complex even for emergency cases.

Very often medicines and surgicals are required under emergency to save lives; hence a 24X7 pharmacy within the hospital complex is a necessity. Speaking about the necessity of a pharmacy at AIIMS, former Consultant Nephrologist, AIIMS, Dr. Sanjiv Saxena shared, "I am indeed glad to know that Sureka Public Charity Trust is keen to start a subsidized pharmacy at AIIMS. Being a leading Kidney Care Centre for North India and drawing large number of poor patients, such a pharmacy will go a long way in helping the needy and those with chronic diseases. I am sure the Trust will be beneficial to all at AIIMS once the pharmacy opens at AIIMS."

The Trust submitted in their proposal that they would pay rentals, water charges, and electricity charges for the earmarked premises, besides inviting AIIMS for management participation as well as all inspections, audits and supervision. The Trust is also ready to accept all the terms and condition of AIIMS. This Trust, which is funded by family business, makes a substantial difference to the health prospects of patients coming to Delhi by reducing the financial burden of the patients and their families. The patients coming to AIIMS are specially referred cases and the medicines required for the treatments are normally costly.

Mr. Vishnu Sureka, Trustee, Sureka Public Charity Trust elaborated on the predicament, "It is inexplicable and unjustified that the much-needed help to millions of prospective and present poor patients at AIIMS is being withheld by the office of the Deputy Director of AIIMS, particularly when the Trust has agreed in front of the special committee in 2008 to adhere to all terms and conditions laid down by the AIIMS authorities as well as bear the entire financial burden in terms of initial investments as well as operations. We have clear objectives in our philanthropic interventions. The proposal of the charitable Helpline Pharmacy on the AIIMS campus should be allowed to go through as per the special committee's recommendations in this regard instead of being stalled unnecessarily due to the reputed hospital's administration imbroglios."

While still waiting for the approved proposal to take final shape, the Trust earlier took the initiative to provide free and subsidized medicines to patients by launching 'Helpline Pharmacy' in the open market at Yusuf Sarai, where an injection of Rs. 2000/- is made available to patients at Rs. 350/- and the average cost patient pays for all medicines is below 50% of the MRP. But the shop is at some distance from AIIMS and poor and chronic patients are often unable to reach there even during emergency situations. Sureka Public Charity Trust publicizes their areas of intervention to create public awareness of this service in order to reach the maximum number of disadvantaged beneficiaries.
www.helplinepharmacy.org

For Further Information Contact:
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