On a mission to take health care to rural areas

MYSORE: Dr B S Ajai Kumar, an NRI Kannadiga, who is famous for starting the first private oncology hospital in Bangalore, has started super specialty cancer care centres across the state and the country.Ajai Kumar, who did his MBBS from St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, and Radio and Medical Oncology from Anderson’s Tumour Hospital and Institute, Houston, USA, started a cancer centre near Chicago and practised there for 20 years. He frequently visited his parents Sadashivaiah, retired law dean and mother Sharadamma, in Mysore.Ajai Kumar decided to extensively tour the state and the country in 1986-87, only to learn the vast differences in medical care facilities in advanced and developing country. “I convinced my wife and family to return to India to extend health care and decided to start Bharath Cancer Hospital and Charitable Trust in Mysore to serve the people in rural areas.” Recalling his father’s support and involvement in setting up the hospital, he said that around 30,000 patients have been treated here.The commitment to treat patients cutting across their socio-economic status made him start 22 hospitals in Shimoga, Hubli and Bangalore Twelve more hospitals, including one in Gulbarga, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Ahmedabad and New Delhi will be operational in a couple of months.“I have also started clinics in Nigeria, South Africa and other third world countries to see that the patients stay with the family and avail treatment at the nearest place,” he added.Welcoming the government move of starting health insurance and care under Vajpayee Arogya scheme, covering all families under BPL category, he wants the government to follow the Switzerland or Malaysia model, covering all under health insurance scheme.“Much can be achieved if the medical education cost comes down and if there is a balanced regulation that protects the interest of both patient and hospital,” he said. He said that about 1.5 lakh women screened for cancer from 2000 out of which more than 70 per cent were in reproductive age between 20 and 45 years and majority of them work for more than 14 hours per day.The competent prices has made even people from advanced countries avail treatment in Bangalore Institute of Oncology and Curie Centre of Oncology.