SURYAPET: In a world that prioritises self-interest over the service of people in desperate need, Dr J Srihari Rao in Mattampally mandal of Suryapet district stands as an embodiment of exceptional dedication and compassion that transcends conventional boundaries.
At the Ramachandra Raju Memorial Healthcare Hospital (RRMHH) on the Nagarjuna Cements Limited campus in Mattapalli, Dr Srihari treats patients for free and has even spent money out of his pockets during emergencies.
A two-time state-level award and 33-time district-level award winner, Dr Srihari runs the RRMHH for the residents along the hilly terrains and deeply forested areas in the region. Most primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the areas are only operational between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., which presents a large 17-hour-long window where residents have limited access to healthcare facilities. To address this, Dr Srihari runs his clinic around the clock.
“Given the geographically challenging terrain of this region, nestled amid hills and trees, the hospital regularly witnesses cases of snake bites and scorpion stings, numbering between 45 and 50 annually,” Dr Srihari tells TNIE. Over 100 patients from 30 villages in the mandal come to the hospital as outpatients daily, he adds.
Listing the range of services available at the hospital, he says equipment and trained personnel are available to carry out diagnostic tests on patients. In terms of specialists, an ophthalmologist visits the hospital to tend to patients with eye-related issues apart from a gynaecologist and a paediatrician once every month and a cardiologist once every three months.
“As many as 1,366 units of blood have been collected through 18 blood donation camps conducted by the hospital this year,” Dr Srihari mentions, adding that they also organise health camps in different villages every month where they hand out many essential medicines to the needy.
In cases where the hospital cannot treat a patient due to complications or lack of expertise, Dr Srihari states that they send critical patients to hospitals in Hyderabad for free in an RRMHH ambulance.
Lamenting at the shortage of doctors at PHCs, G Muniyamma, a resident of Simhapuri, compares Dr Srihari to the Almighty and asserts that he can cure any ailment. Similarly, V Ramachandru of Mattapally village says the doctor has often travelled to the hinterlands to treat a patient in a critical condition. He says that several essential medicines are not available in government hospitals, but they get medicines for free at the hospital.