About two months ago, Sharanappa Madar (52) was diagnosed with blocks in two of his three arteries and doctors had suggested him to undergo immediate surgery before the situation worsened.
But, the poverty of Mr. Madar, who works in local factory, was holding him back from undergoing treatment.
“I am told that free diagnosis and treatment in a good hospital would be given here. I am glad that I am participating in the camp,” he said.
Mr. Madar was one among over a thousand people belonging to the SCs, STs category and BPL card holders who attended a mega health camp organised by Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust at the District Government Hospital here on Monday.
Addressing presspersons, V. D. Dange, Regional Consultant of Belagavi division of the trust, said that the government has organised the camp in only SC (Reserved) Assembly constituencies where the population of SCs is at least 40 per cent.
Explaining the objective of the camp, he said that in many districts, the government hospitals do not have tertiary-level treatment for serious ailments such as cardiac, neurological, and renal which are among 567 diseases identified by the government for providing free treatment.
Dr. Dange said that the government constituted the trust to provide treatment for serious ailments free of cost to the poor.
He said that for treatments under various health schemes such as Rajiv Arogya Bhagya and Jyoti Sanjeevini where patients, after getting diagnosed, would be sent to private hospitals for treatment.
“After the tests, if any patient is found to be in need of a surgery, the doctors send him/her to a private hospital.
The doctors of two Solapur-based, two Vijayapura-based and one Bengaluru-based hospitals have come here for testing,” he said.
He informed that V. H. Porwal, a businessman and a philanthropist from Vijayapura city, was offering free lunch to the patients during the camp.
