Sri Kashi Vishwanath Aarogya Mandir: How Nayati Healthcare’s initiative is making quality healthcare accessible
Headed by Niira Radia, Nayati’s social healthcare model is making a significant impact in the villages and towns of Uttar Pradesh
One of the most densely-populated states in India, Uttar Pradesh suffers from a huge demand and supply gap when it comes to accessible medical care. The situation is not particularly good at places of religious interest, where a bountiful of pilgrims arrive every day, out of which a large number of faces difficulty finding appropriate healthcare aid during medical emergencies.
Understanding the severity of this problem, a prominent name in the healthcare sector of Uttar Pradesh, Nayati Healthcare recently setup Sri Kashi Vishwanath Arogya Mandir, an initiative aimed at providing immediate medical care to the locals and pilgrims alike, free of cost. The unit is set up within the temple premises, in association with Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust.
Over 1.2 to 1.5 million pilgrims visit the historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple every month. Considering the large number of visitors, a medical unit equipped to handle emergency situations and provide essential healthcare services is quite necessary. The impact of th medical unit was seen on the very first day of its operation, where the unit served over 350 patients. Since its inauguration in end September, the Aarogya Mandir has treated more than 6,500 patients, of which a considerable number were the local population and the ones that needed immediate medical attention.
The model seems simple but is rather impactful. For instance, Kashi Aarogya Mandir’s location and the sheer footfall at Kashi makes the healthcare initiative useful for locals as well as for the millions of pilgrims visiting the temple. The healthcare model follows the first initiative by Niira Radia in Badrinath, back in 2012.
Talking about the vision behind starting the Aarogya Mandir, Niira Radia, Chairperson and Promoter of Nayati Healthcare, said, “At Nayati, we believe in the philosophy of “For Health! For Humanity!”, which is a clarion call and a promise of making world-class healthcare services accessible to the masses. We are thankful to Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust; without their cooperation, this dream couldn’t have turned into reality.”
Emphasizing upon the need for such initiatives in the region, Niira Radia added, “Nayati Healthcare has been at the forefront of making the best medical facilities accessible to all. Places of religious importance often see a large number of people in distress due to the unavailability of immediate medical care. With Arogya Mandir, we aim at making the pilgrimage an easier and smooth experience for the devotees of Baba Badri Vishal.”
Sri Kashi Vishwanath Arogya Mandir is well-equipped to treat all kinds of emergencies with the provision of Lab and OPD. The stabilization centre has a 25-member dedicated team of doctors, nurses, technicians and paramedical staff. The unit is well-equipped with Defibrillator and ECG to handle patient with cardiac emergencies. Additionally, the setup has lab facilities for medical tests such as SGOT, SGPT, cholesterol, creatinine, triglyceride, dengue, malaria, typhoid, etc.
Post stabilization, critically ill patients are shifted to the district hospital or the medical department of BHU, through an ambulance which is available round-the-clock. Along with that, the unit is also visited by a Senior Specialty member once a month. A full-time pharmacy has also been set up inside the Arogya Mandir, providing medicines as prescribed by the doctors. The unit is open for 12 hours (8 am to 8 pm) on all days.
