New Delhi, September 29, 2018 :
A study of India’s top companies for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) shows that the top 200 companies spend around Rs 1369 crores on healthcare and wellness. About 24% of the total spend on CSR is focused on healthcare. Companies can do a lot to support healthcare as a part of their 2% mandatory spending. To recognize the contribution of business to healthcare, the HCFI CSR Awards 2018 are being organized as part of the 25th MTNL Perfect Health Mela this year.
Funds directed at CSR can become an enabler for driving innovation in healthcare processes and medical devices to deliver healthcare in a portable, convenient and cost-effective way. All this can further help in achieving the objective of ‘affordable healthcare’ which is also the theme for the Mela this year.
Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr KK Aggarwal, President, HCFI, said, “According to the Vedas, we are living in Kalyuga and therefore, there is a general perception that it is not possible to bring about any change for the betterment of the society. However, this is not true. Just as the Satya yuga had both Gods (suras) and demons (asuras); Tretayuga had both Ram and Ravana; and Dwapar Yuga had Krishna and Kansa, there are bound to be Satya yugis amongst the Kalyugis, though in minor numbers. Doctors are true to their chosen vocation. They treat their patients with honesty (satya), selfless hard work (tapa), purity of mind (pavitrata), compassion (daya) and charity (daan) — all the characteristics that make a person satyayugi. Doctors, and not hospitals, charge no fee during emergency and subsidize their fee. This makes themSatya yugisand contributors to CSR.”
CSR is one way of becoming a Satya yugi. However, it should not be just limited to corporates. Each one of us too, as individuals, can carry out some acts of CSR or charity.
Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, who is also the Group Editor-in-Chief of IJCP, said, “The principles of charity remain the same: truthfulness, detachment, positive. This is the meaning of satya, tap, and pavitrata. Everybody who is involved in charity or CSR should follow these principles of charity. A simple mantra to do this is, ask somebody ‘May I help you?’”