Akshaya Chaitanya serves free food in Mumbai’s government hospitals
He is a student of the Madrasa near his home. He has many friends in the neighbourhood and loves to play with them. He enjoys watching cartoons, and listening to stories from his mother. He is a bright student in the eyes of his teacher. But contrary to his will, he has to miss school at least twice a week and also misses playing with his friends regularly because of his health conditions.
He is Rehan, the 4-year-old son of Manohar Alli suffering from kidney dysfunction. Rehan has been having kidney problem since he was one-and-half-year-old. They have been visiting BYL Nair Hospital since 2019 for treatment. According to the doctor, 80% of one of his kidneys is not functioning and it is not curable. However, his health can be maintained with the help of medicine.
The treatment cost of Rehan’s condition is around ₹2-2.5 lakhs. Though it is beyond affordability of Manohar and his wife, yet they are leaving no stone unturned for treatment of their son. Manohar is a tailor with a monthly income is ₹7,000-₹8,000 and is the sole breadwinner of the family. Every time he has to visit the hospital, he has to close his shop which is a big loss for him. Apart from hospital cost, they have to bear the travel cost from Nalasopara to BYL Nair Hospital, medicine, tests and the like. Manohar has already borrowed money from relatives and has also taken a loan from the bank for Rehan’s treatment. In addition, Manohar and his wife are already living the hard truth that their expected child will also be born with the same health condition as Rehan.
In Manohar's words, “The treatment cost is so high that we can’t even afford to buy food when we visit the hospital. So, I used to buy food only for Rehan whenever we visited the hospital and stayed hungry myself. I am glad Akshaya Chaitanya started providing food in the hospital. Free and good food provided by Akshaya Chaitanya helps poor people like us. I am grateful to Akshaya Chaitanya for serving food to people who needs it. Now, I don’t have to worry about my son’s and my meal while visiting the hospital. We can eat stomach full and also save money.”
There are many like Manohar Alli across government hospitals in Mumbai who opt to stay hungry to meet treatment cost of their family members. We invite your support for our Hospital Feeding Programme. Contribute generously so that everyone receives their share of daily meals while taking care of their loved ones.
Note: All contributions above ₹500 are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.
