Hair neatly done, he flashes an enigmatic smile, effusing a magnetic charm even as he turns 77 this year. Dr Mohan Rao who took his MBBS from Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, in 1963 and MD from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, is an institution in himself.
After serving at the Railway Hospital, Perambur, for 20 years and HAL as chief of medical services, he retired in 1998. Since then, he has been devoting his life to take care of the health of thousands of people who cannot afford medical treatment. Even during his tenure, he had convinced the HAL management to adopt a neighbouring orphanage with over 200 children, and the hospital provided both OP and inpatient treatment free of charge. “We organised regular free health camps in backward areas of Chinnappannahalli and Kaggadasapura for 10 years. After I retired, I started assisting M.J. Mohan, chairman of Venkatesha Education Society (VES), at a Medical College and Hospital at Hoskote. We offer free treatment at MVJ Medical College Hospital and the hospital caters to over 500 villages and have treated 2,40,000 patients and around 47,000 patients have undergone free surgeries. The hospital also provides breakfast, lunch and dinner free to all the inpatients.”
Dr Mohan Rao travels to villages in Karnataka to provide free health check-ups at his own free will and time. “We have organised hundreds of health camps since 2001. During 2015 alone we held 36 camps in villages such as Nandagudi, Avalahalli, Anugondanahalli, Tavarakere, Malur etc, where we educated and rendered treatment to rural patients attending the camps. On an average, 450 600 patients attend the camps. In addition to providing free medicines during these camps, we also undertake free blood tests, besides other tests.”
He has won a number of awards and has been felicitated by the Governor of Karnataka, T.N. Chaturvedi, for the exemplary rural health services to villages around Hoskote; but he’s not one to blow his own trumpet. We prod the charming and dapper doctor to throw more light on his largesse and he adds, “I have delivered several talks on prevention of diseases and maintenance of good health through lifestyle modification at different forums and community gatherings in Bengaluru, Udupi and Chennai. I give out my personal mobile number to everyone who wants to use the MVJ Hospital facility for themselves or their domestic servants. My mobile number is also with all the caddies at Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) who are poor and I offer them treatment. In the last two years, 50 caddies have availed this facility.”
