NAGPUR: A trust which runs four hospitals – two each in Nagpur and Wardha — has raised over Rs22 lakh for three of its needy patients through three campaigns started by a crowdfunding agency.
The success of the campaigns led to a first of its kind arrangement in which Meghe Group of Hospitals signed an MoU with a fundraising platform, Ketto.org, to initiate crowdfunding for its needy patients.
The four hospitals — Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital and Shalinitai Super Speciality Centre, both at Wardha, and Shalinitai Meghe Hospital and Research Centre and Nelson Hospital in Nagpur, will now have a kiosk manned by Ketto.org representatives for initiating medical crowdfunding.
The group chief executive officer, Dr Sandeep Shrivastava, said that emergency cases won’t be delayed and patients would receive complete treatment even as the crowdfunding campaign goes on.
He said that several critical procedures, including organ transplantation or neuro surgeries, are not covered or have limitation under government schemes. “In such a situation, patients struggle to arrange funds and some are forced to move out to government hospitals,” he said.
A month-old baby with brain enlargement got the help of Rs5.74 lakh while Rs2.74lakh have so far been raised for a two-month-old baby. “Both the patients were helped by another crowdfunding agency, Milaap, though we don’t have any tie up with them. Now, we will start with Ketto,” said Dr Shrivastava.
Dr Shrivastava said that last year informal crowdfunding had helped raise Rs14lakh for a 17-year-old boy. The boy had complete paralysis and his family couldn’t afford the costly treatment.
A press release issued by the group said that the company is closely working with hospitals, NGOs and individuals to bring positive change in the community. Currently, Ketto campaigns are raising over Rs300 crore per year for various causes, it read.
“With about 80% of the population without any form of health insurance and 63% out-of-pocket medical expenses, most families spend all their savings and borrow money at high interest rates to cover the medical expenses. Medical crowdfunding is an alternative option for those who urgently need money. Crowdfunding platform Ketto has launched more than one million fundraisers for medical campaigns since its inception, raising more than $600 million,” it said.
