Did you know that 95% heart care hospitals and 99% cardiac doctors are in the few cities of the country?
As someone who grew up in rural Maharashtra, Dr Z. Humdulay has seen firsthand the struggle for basic amenities in remote villages. He even lost an uncle, who could have been saved with early diagnoses and treatment. After he started work as a cardiac surgeon, he saw more clearly how the lack of connectivity could be fatal at rural hsopitals.
“I saw a man die of heart attack in front of me. The doctor said the hospital had nothing except paracetamol. All he could do was write a recomendation referring the patient to a hospital in the nearest town. The man had two small children and could have been saved,” says Dr Humdulay
It is not just the lack of life-saving medicines and equipments that is the problem. It is the attitude of fear and ignorance rampant in villages. “At one subsidised screening centre, I was happy to have caught a grave hole in a baby girl's heart. But the parents believed that an operation was a bad thing and never came back,” he adds.
Dr Humdulay at one of the screening centres
Heart disease is a silent killer in India killing one person every 33 seconds. But 95% heart care hospitals are in the few cities of the country. This many fatalities can be easily prevented with early diagnoses and essential lifestyle changes. With his Humdulay Heart Foundation, Dr Humdulay wants better, healthier hearts in rural India.
One van for healthy hearts
So far, the foundation has helped 862 people in rural India having conducted 500 medical camps and conducting 212 life-saving surgeries – at heavily subsidised rates. The funds come from donors and is managed bytrustees. It works on the efforts of other cardiac doctors who volunteer their services here.
The first step is investigation. The sooner heart disease is caught, the more lives can be saved. With his team, Dr Humdulay has envisioned a diagnostic van with trained technicians that can visit villages and conduct health camps. The van is to run on donations and the donors can even request that certain villages be covered.
Other doctors help Dr Humdulay reach more patients by volunteeringThe van will be equipped with primary and secondary investigative equipment such as ECG device, sonograph machine etc. The foundation needs funds to take such top-class healthcare to the last village in India.
Development tied to citizens' health and well-being
To Dr Humdulay, access is a most important part of development. “Though my mother didn't have formal education, taking care of the less fortunate was important to her. She made me promise to work for our country. If people in villages know that there is a doctor visiting them, they will come out and ask for a check-up. For me, this availability is development,” he explains.
The funds raised will be used to purchase a van and create information posters to circulate in villages. Be a part of India's development and help Dr Humdulay's initiative for healthy hearts. Click here to contribute now.
Humdulay Heart Foundation also organises awareness events to involve more people in the cause
Note: INR donations will receive 100% tax exemption under section 35 AC. All donors will receive the tax exemption receipts upon completion of the campaign.
