Hyderabad: Intending to provide treatment at an affordable price to the economically down classes of the society, a doctor in Hyderabad has been treating people by charging them just Rs 10.
Since 2018, Dr Victor Emmanuel has been treating poor patients at his clinic in Boduppal in Hyderabad for Rs 10.
People with a white ration card or a food security card are charged this fee while soldiers are provided free treatment.
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Speaking to reporters, Dr Victor Emmanuel said, "I started this clinic with the sole purpose of serving the needy people and offering them an affordable treatment. Under this, we have identified few sections of society that are economically deprived groups and who hold food security cards or white ration cards. Apart from them, we provide the same service to farmers, acid attack victims, orphans, differently-abled people and even to jawans and their family members."
He also said that an effort is made to try to cut down the cost of various lab tests and medicines for needy people.
The doctor treats people for various diseases like diabetes, cardiac-related issues, nerves-related issues and other general ailments.
He said that currently, they are treating over 100 patients per day and initially when the cases were surging, the clinic used to have a footfall of over 140 Covid patients.
"Sometimes, we used to close the hospital at midnight and on a day-long duty, we used to treat over 140-150 patients. On average we look at over 100 patients currently," he said.
He mentioned that over the last one year, they have treated over 20,000 to 25,000 Covid patients.
Speaking up about financial management, Dr Victor Emmanuel said that initially, they were hesitant to run a clinic by just charging Rs 10. However, as people started to identify with the cause behind starting this clinic, they started showing up and now the project is 'for the patients and by the patients'.
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Dr Victor said that one particular incident has changed his perspective towards treating people. "Once I saw a woman begging on the roads in front of a hospital so that she could buy medicines for her husband who was under treatment in the ICU of the hospital. This incident changed my life. That is when I have decided to serve the needy and poor. Throughout this journey till date, my friends and family, including my wife who herself is a doctor, have been supportive."
He further said that many people ask him why he does not provide free treatment instead of charging Rs 10. To this Dr Emmanuel says, "I charge them Rs 10 because I do not want the patients to think that they are being given treatment out of someone's mercy. This is to safeguard their self-respect. They walk in the clinic, pay Rs 10, get themselves checked and walk out happily without having a feeling that someone had shown mercy to them and their financial status."
He further said that during the pandemic, they are trying to feed the poor and needy under the banner of 'Sneha Hastham'. He also said that they are about to open a charitable hospital to extend the Rs.10 treatment to a larger number of people.
ANI
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