Rotary ‘Downunder’ isn’t the only one celebrating 100 years of doing good in 2021… Rotary in India will also commemorate its centenary, and the Rotary Clubs of Morley, WA, and Bangalore, India, have teamed up to mark the special occasion.
The legacy international project 100 Heart Surgeries will see the RajaRajeswari Medical College and Hospital (RRMCH) in Karnataka, India, perform 100 heart surgeries for the needy over a period of approximately 12 months.
There are thousands of people in Bangalore and surrounding villages who suffer cardiac related problems and cannot afford the cost of surgery and aftercare.
The Rotary Club of Bangalore has a long history with the 1300-bed multi-speciality RRMCH through its ongoing project, ‘The Rotary Bangalore ICICI Dialysis Centre’. Aware of Rotary’s association with the hospital, doctors and surgeons at the Cardiac Centre asked if the club would consider a project to provide free heart surgeries.
At around the same time, International Service Director of the Rotary Club of Morley, Ahmed Siddique, was visiting Bangalore and agreed the project would be a wonderful opportunity to mark the centenary of Rotary in their two respective countries.
“We visited the hospital, saw its impressive infrastructure and had some preliminary discussions with Head of the Cardiac Centre Dr Prabhuswamy,” Ahmed said. “Once we had both agreed that it was a much-needed humanitarian project, we presented it to our respective clubs, looked for funding and started the application process for a global grant.”
The US$75,000 budget will cover the cost of consultations, surgery, tests, medicines, aftercare and hospital stay. RRMCH has agreed to dramatically reduce the cost of surgeries from upwards of US$2500 to US$750 per surgery.
Patients will be selected on their medical need and urgency of surgery and their economic situation.
“Treating their heart conditions will give these patients and their families a new lease on life, and we are very proud to be involved and in partnership with the Rotary Club of Bangalore,” Ahmed said.
The Rotary Club of Morley is seeking support towards a final $5000 for the project to which it is indebted to District 9455. If you would like to assist, please contact Ahmed via junes786@bigpond.net.au or 0434 123 794.