PM relief fund helps give healing touch to 350 patients

Banarsi paan seller Vikas Chaurasia’s joy at the birth of his daughter three-and-a half years ago lasted only a few hours as he soon came to know that the infant had a congenital heart ailment (a hole in the heart).

When doctors advised surgery, Chaurasia began arranging funds for the same.

In the meantime, a well wisher suggested that he seek help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the Varanasi MP.

He sent an application with details of his daughter’s illness and the funds required for treatment to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in September last year.

He recalled, “A sum of ₹50,000 was sanctioned from Prime Minister’s national relief fund around nine months back. I also got a call from the Sir Sunder Lal (SSL) Hospital, BHU, for my daughter’s treatment. She underwent surgery at the BHU (hospital) in November last year and heart defects (two holes) were repaired. My daughter Aradhya is hale and hearty now.”

Chaurasia, who wants ₹50,000 more for medicines required after surgery, is not the lone beneficiary.

Vibhuti Narayan, a truck driver afflicted with heart disease, too got ₹50,000 for treatment from the PM relief fund. He belongs to Bhopapur village in the PM’s constituency.

In all, PM Modi provided funds worth ₹4, 16, 42, 500 ( ₹4.16 crore) from PM relief fund to over 350 patients, mainly of cancer, heart and kidney ailments during 2017-18, an official said, adding that these patients belong to PM Modi’s constituency Varanasi and adjoining districts, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra among others.

Over 150 of them were cancer patients, people familiar with the matter at the Sir Sundar Lal Hospital said.

A senior official, who did not wish to be named, said ₹56,50,262 ( ₹56.50 lakh) had already been transferred to the accounts of patients who underwent treatment.

The remaining ₹3, 39, 92, 237 ( ₹3.39 crore) was being transferred to the accounts of patients, he said.

Many of the 350 patients had already received treatment at SSL Hospital while others were undergoing treatment, he said.

Dr OP Upadhyay, superintendent of the SSL Hospital, confirmed the figure.

“Funds provided to the patients by PM Modi from PM relief fund helped patients. Many patients have got timely treatment and recovered well,” he said.

“After 2014, there has been a considerable change in procedure. Now, funds are sanctioned within three weeks of the application being registered and accepted by PMO. Fifty per cent of the amount is sanctioned on the day application is registered,” Upadhyay said.

He said as soon as an application for funds is registered, the SSL Hospital receives a letter with details of the patient and the funds to be sanctioned to the patient.

Immediately afterwards, the patient is informed and called for advanced treatment.

Dr Upadhyay said though treatment at the SSL Hospital was free, the money provided from the PM relief fund helped patients buy expensive medicines for cancer, heart and kidney ailments.