Two friends are on a mission to provide affordable healthcare to underprivileged families.
What’s it about? A 2017 incident of a young girl dying of dengue as her parents couldn’t afford healthcare in Mohan Munusamy’s neighbourhood inspired him to take action. With his college friend S Udhayakumar, they began the Foundation for Friendly Environment and Medical Awareness (FEMA). They aim to provide affordable healthcare to those who can’t afford it.
- FEMA runs an evening clinic that offers medicines and vaccinations for a one-time registration fee of ₹30. Their Smart Hearts lab, run by professionals who have undergone FEMA’s courses, provides free diagnosis for diabetes and hypertension.
- For bedridden patients, they offer help at their homes. It ensures they don’t have to worry about being transported to a hospital or healthcare centre and the costs involved.
Other efforts: FEMA also conducts street plays to spread awareness about diseases. They organise eye camps and screen for HIV in different locations. They also run a tuition centre for kids in Ranipet. Due to a high dropout rate among tribal children, they provided evening snacks and offered practical classes with activities like drawing and painting.