Pune doctor waives delivery charges for baby girls through special campaign
Dr Ganesh Rakh has provided more than 2,500 free deliveries for newborn girls at his hospital in Pune.
Dr Ganesh Rakh, a gynaecologist in Pune, has facilitated more than 2,500 free deliveries for baby girls through his Mulgi Vachva Abhiyan (Save the Girl Child Campaign). According to a Times of India report, the initiative involves waiving delivery charges at his Medicare Hospital and celebrating the births with cakes, flowers, and sweets.
The doctor launched the campaign on January 3, 2012, the birth anniversary of social reformer Savitribai Phule. He decided to waive maternity charges for every mother giving birth to a girl, regardless of their financial background.
Dr Rakh stated that the initiative is his life's mission and responsibility towards humanity. He noted that the decision was inspired by witnessing gender discrimination in his daily work, where the birth of a girl often resulted in disappointment or distress among relatives.
The campaign faced initial skepticism from family and associates. An IANS report noted that Rakh had borrowed approximately Rs 1 crore from friends and relatives to set up the hospital in 2017. Dr Rakh revealed that the hospital incurred a loss of about Rs 10,000 on a regular delivery and over Rs 25,000 in complicated surgical cases.
Dr Rakh's personal background includes working as a labourer alongside his father, Adinath, after his seventh-grade examinations. He later earned a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree and established Medicare Hospital in the Hadapsar area of Pune in 2007.