Good health comes at a small fee.
Here are organisations that offer medical treatment for free or at a subsidised rate
(Source August 6 THE HINDU)
...
1
SYMA Medical Centre,
Car Street,
Triplicane
28445050.
Consultation fee at this medical centre run by Srinivas Young Men's Association
(SYMA), a Triplicane-based social
organisation, is pegged at 2.
Anyone can walk in for a general
consultation with a doctor; and the
medicines come free of cost.
For an appointment with an ENT doctor, an orthopaedician, neurologist and a psychologist, an appointment should be booked in advance; and a specialist consultation fee of 100 is charged.
SYMA also runs a laboratory (currently tied with Neuberg Diagnostics) for testing.
The lab is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Physiotherapy rate is 100 and an
eye clinic managed by Pammal
Sankara Eye Hospital charges 50.
The centre periodically runs health
camps.
2
Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Medical Trust,
Sri Ratnagiriswarar Temple,
RBI Quarters, Besant Nagar.
Initiated by Dr K Sridhar in the mid-80s, this free evening clinic on the premises of Sri Ratnagiriswarar Temple in Besant Nagar was established to help the underprivileged. A consultation fee of 2 was charged, and it came with free supply
of medicines that will stay for two days. The local community helps oversee the day-to-day activities at the clinic, including opening the facility on time and keeping it clean.
The consultation fee is now *5. "From Monday to Saturday, the clinic is open from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and we get an average of 20 patients every day," says Dr Sridhar. "Depending on the need, the
general physician refers patients to consultants at their clinic who offer free service."
Dr Sridhar was instrumental in starting similar community-based health care clinics in Triplicane, Thiruvanmiyur, Sriram Nagar and Mylapore, all of which are being run independently now.
3
SGS Charitable Clinic,
Sachchidananda Nagar,
Velachery
9790972785 / 7010032596.
This Sunday clinic was initiatedbunder the shade of an avadumbara tree at a modest place at Sachchidananda Nagar in Velachery by Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda in 1989. Gynaecologist Ponnammal Panchapakesan was the first
doctors serve at the clinic. She would
attend to patients every Sunday. The
clinic now runs every day and is led
by a team of doctors.
From Monday to Saturday, the clinic
is open from 6.45 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
and on a Sunday, the work time is ex-
tended by an hour. "Consultation is
free for all but medicines are given
free of cost only to the underprivileged," says Dr A Sivasubramanian, medical convenor.
4
Dhanvanthri
Vaidyasala Charitable Dispensary
Mandaveli
24939352
The Mylapore Academy has been
managing the activities of the Dhanvanthri
Vaidyasala Charitable Dispensary, which is
more than five decades old. A token fee of
₹10 is charged towards consultation and
medicines.
Open from Monday to Saturday (between
8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m.), the clinic offers
services in general medicine, dentistry,
ophthalmology and physiotherapy.
physician is available on all days, an
eye specialist and paediatrician can
be consulted every Saturday and Sun-
day respectively. The facility also
hosts the meetings of Alcoholic Anonymous and has consultation for de-addiction every day. Once in a month, it also opens its doors for a free diabetic camp. Besides services at the facility, it takes up rural camps at Perukkaranai Village in Kancheepuram and Krishnan Karanai village on ECR.
Compiled by Liffy Thomas
5
Ambattur Rotary Charitable Trust charitable trust
RA Puram,
4396 8888
Persons with diabetics B that come from an underprivileged background receive free treatment at two clinics of Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre in Chennai with the support of Sathya Sai Seva Organisation. While the clinic at Ambattur screens patients on the second and fourth Sunday, the one at Raja Annamalaipuram opens on the fourth Sunday. At both clinics, free blood glucose testing, consultation and medicines are offered. A team of diabetologist, eye consultant, dietitian and fitness trainers are available for consultation.
6
SP 98, Ambattur Industrial Estate
26258616
The Ambattur Rotary Hospital offers
treatment at subsidised charges. In
addition, this facility in Ambattur Industrial Estate has a cerebral palsy (CP) rehabilitation centre that does not charge any fee for treatment involving children
with CP and other musculoskeletal disabilities.
The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment including thera suits, hydrotherapy pool, neuromuscular electrical stimulation apparatus and
body weight supported treadmill. It has a team of physiotherapists. An average of 20 children attend the rehab programme on weekdays, this number is much more during weekends.
...
(For general information only)