Amrita Hospital, Kochi cared for 730 people at a free medical camp in the Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu. With a Scheduled Caste population of 21%, it is a community where many struggle with poverty and has been classified as an underdeveloped district by the Govt of India. The hospital’s 45-member team included 17 doctors from multiple medical specialties.
The camp was held at the Amrita Vidyalayam school in the village of Rajasuryamadai under the guidance of Dr C Sreekumar with Amrita’s Department of General Surgery. Treatment included general medicine, general surgery, dermatology, pediatrics, pulmonology, cardiology, geriatrics, orthopedics, ENT, and gynecology.
Separate counters were set up for different categories of treatment, providing free diagnosis and medications worth over ₹1 lakh ($1,200). Additionally, free X-rays, ECGs, CBCs, and other blood tests were offered to the patients. Amrita Hospital also brought one of its telemedicine buses equipped with state-of-the-art treatment facilities, including scan technologies and mini-operation theatres.
Other doctors who took part in the opening ceremony included Dr Joseph Rajan, General Physician, Ramanathapuram; Dr Balaji Sreemurugan, Pediatric Surgeon with Amrita Hospital, Kochi; and Dr Vasanti Rajmohan.
Also present were the Ashram’s Brahmachari Nikhileshamrita Chaitanya; Brahmacharini Lakshmi, Manager, Amrita Vidyalayam, Ramanathapuram; Mr Balavel Murugan,Vice Principal, Amrita Vidyalayam, Ramanathapuram; and Ms Indira Devi, Principal, Amrita Vidyalayam, Rameswaram.