CHENNAI: Back in 1999 when Dr Rajan Ravichandran, chairman of Sapiens Health Foundations, started the organisation, the cost of dialysis was Rs 450. A discount of Rs 50 per dialysis was given for every patient availing of their services. “Even though it wasn’t a huge amount that we were reducing, we wanted to do something to help people with kidney diseases,” commented Dr Rajan.
After a few years, he was surprised when a woman approached him and donated a sum of `2 lakh as a symbol of gratitude for the foundation for serving her husband. “We didn’t know that a small amount of `50 would make a difference like this in that woman’s life. We understood that it is not the amount but the gesture which is important,” he said.
From giving discounts and arranging better treatment options the foundation branched out to serve the people in every possible way and educate them about the medical aspects over the span of 25 years. The silver jubilee celebrations of the Sapiens Health Foundation on Saturday at The Music Academy was an event that highlighted the milestones of the foundation and how it helped and impacted people in the city.
Recollecting how Dr Rajan had been a support in his life during tough times, actor Rajnikanth, who was the guest of honour, said, “More than a doctor, Dr Rajan is my best friend. He is the reason that I am standing today in front of you all, in good health. When we met in 2010, I had multiple problems including kidney problems. My kidney was almost 60% damaged and the treatments from other hospitals weren’t working out. Dr Rajan, after looking into my issue, immediately advised me to get a kidney transplant. He also told me not to get it done in India but in Rochester, warning me about my celebrity status and how getting treatment in my place will be lured into something done for publicity. I took his advice and got the best treatment under his recommendation. He even flew to America to see me and took so much care of me there.”
From providing dialysis treatment to building and launching a complete cure for patients who need dialysis, the foundation has spread its wings to embrace new changes and developments in the medical field. Highlighting the foundation’s latest collaboration with Prof Tanabe, chairman of Tokyo Women’s Hospital, Dr Rajan said, “There is a molecule called AIM (apoptosis inhibition in macrophages) which digests the waste products in the body and cells and acts as in-charge of dialysis. They (the team in Japan) had been able to avoid dialysis in the experimental animals. With this molecule, it would be possible to get patients out of dialysis.”
Concluding the event, former Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, who was the chief guest of the event, said, “The foundation and the service they are doing is great. Here we have a doctor who has taken this mission as a passion. More than giving just treatment, the foundation also ventures into educating and giving proper guidance to the patients. There is no simple substitute for health. As our ancestors used to say, Arogyame Maha Bhagyam (health is wealth).”