The Chairman of Charutar Arogya Mandal, Dr Amrita Patel is currently in UK to raise awareness for the Shree Krishna Hospital in Karmsand, Anand. She took upon this initiative when as the Chairman for Amul she noticed female workers on facility floor working hard in producing the company's products yet they did not receive many health benefits.
The hospital serves the community especially below the poverty line with ladies and children receiving treatment free of charge. The aim of the hospital is to provide treatments, closer to the communities they serve. While in UK Amritaben hopes to not only raise awareness, but also to establish co-operation with medical fraternity. The college also provides scholarship, one of the few in India to offer medical scholarships. Students are sent out in the field to serve the community in their first year itself.
The reputation of the hospital is very good and currently offers a bed capacity of 550 to patients free of charge, with a new 60 bed wing for paid treatment. The cost of those paying for treatment would be one third the cost of a private hospital. The Shree Krishna Hospital boasts some of the best facilities in the country without compromising on the level of care with which patients receive treatment in the Charutar region. The hospital has facilities for a cancer centre, bone marrow, cardiac centre, paediatric, trauma and cardio centre. In fact the hospital is the only trauma facility between Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
Amritaben's inspiration is her father, H.M Patel former Finance Minister of the Government of India who was an outstanding member of the Indian civil service from 1927. While speaking to her, she said her father was born with integrity to serve the community. Elaborating her future plans, she hopes to implement six extension centre's with the aim that 90 villages will be served each by one health worker who will advise but also provide basic treatment to the people. In the case of a bigger case the patient would be brought to the extension and then if needed be referred to the hospital. They also intent to setup a smaller 60 bed, secondary hospital costing around Rupee 3 Cr in Sevalia. This hospital will provide for operations, x-ray services and a trauma centre.
On 11th June Dr Patel and the delegation visit Leicester for a luncheon meeting arranged by Mr Nainesh M Patel. The Charutar Health Foundation will have a charity dinner on 12th June where further information about the hospital will be provided including raising awareness, public donations and adopting seriously ill children.
