|
Date : December 2003
Children read out the Suraksha Bandhan pledge to the President of India Dr. A.P J Abdul Kalam in New Delhi, Seen on the left is Wockhardt Chairman Habil Khorakiwala. 
The choir of the Army Public School in Bangalore sings the Suraksha Bandhan anthem, specially created by Wockhardt. Seen on the right are Padma Vishwanathan, principal of the school, & Wockhardt Hospitals' Vishal Bali, Vice - President -Operations. |
Children and the youth are shaped by the communities they live in.
Indian culture has a long tradition of respect and care for the elderly. But, with the rise of nuclear families and people earning their livelihood in distant locations, millions of our senior citizens are missing out on care and affection in the evening of their lives.
Wockhardt Group ended 2003 - a momentous year marked by the launch of Asia's first recombinant insulin and Indian pharmaceutical industry's largest overseas acquisition - by paying homage to senior citizens.
Born out of the growing isolation of the elderly in the community, Suraksha Bandhan is a nation-wide initiative for senior citizens by Wockhardt Hospitals. Suraksha Bandhan (which means Protection Bond in Hindi) aims to reinforce traditional Indian values of respect and care for the elderly. It has already received commendation from the Honourable President of India, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam.
Suraksha Bandhan is Wockhardt's way of saying "We care" as it aims to address the need of elders in India who will constitute the highest numbers in the world. Our chairman Habil Khorakiwala explains the motive for the movement, "Fourteen years of providing healthcare services have made us sensitive to the growing health problems of the elderly. In our role as a national healthcare provider, Wockhardt Hospitals is defining care not just from a clinical perspective but from a societal perspective. By creating a positive environment, many of the medical problems of the elderly can be avoided. We want to help build a society where our senior citizens are treated with dignity and feel loved and cared for- thereby providing the basic prerequisites for good health and longevity."
Vishal Bali, Vice-President - Operations, Wockhardt Hospitals, who spearheaded the campaign, adds, "Support for the elderly is not limited to finance but includes emotional support. This initiative is the outcome of our personal experience at Wockhardt Hospitals. Often, when we call people to inform them that their parents are admitted to the hospital, the common response is 'Do not worry about the finances. Give them the best care'. However, the personal touch of being with their parents in their time of need is missing. Statements such as these show increasing polarity within familial set-ups."
Through various activities in schools, colleges and senior citizen associations, Wockhardt Hospitals will bring together the young and the old, and sensitise the youth about the emotional needs of the elderly.
Suhas Aradhye, Head - Marketing, Wockhardt Hospitals, who co-ordinated the activities in Mumbai, says, "Senior citizens have provided great vision and support to the Indian society. We have benefited time and again from their sacrifices, commitment and hard work. Suraksha Bandhan gives youngsters the ideal opportunity to express gratitude, respect and love for their elders."
The campaign was launched in Bangalore on October 1, World Elders' Day, when Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute coordinated the events, which had over 5,600 school children voicing their dedication to take care of their grandparents and other elders.
After tying the Suraksha band on the wrist of the elder, the child reads out the pledge and signs a dedication card and gives it to the elder as an expression of commitment. Children are also encouraged to not only make a pledge to elders in the family, but to include neighbours and others in the local community.
The launch went national on a day apt to the occasion November 14 - celebrated as Children's Day in India. The venue was the highest office - the Rashtrapati Bhavan - in New Delhi. At a special event with the President of India, children representing Wockhardt Hospitals tied the Suraksha Bandhan band on the President's wrist.They took the Suraksha Bandhan pledge to stand by their elderly and shared with Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam the plans to celebrate Suraksha Bandhan in schools across the country. The President was visibly happy with the initiative. "Good performance," he expressed, and urged Wockhardt Hospitals to "Think big" on this national initiative.
Encouragement has also been forthcoming from senior citizen groups and school management members. Bangalore's Army Public School principal Padma Vishwanathan says, 'The youth is our future. As educators, we are often occupied addressing the academic needs of our students. But, for any education to be complete, it is also vital that we inculcate the value systems that will enable them to be beneficial members of society. It is events like Suraksha Bandhan that will instill these values and build the citizens of tomorrow's India."
Till date, the Suraksha Bandhan movement has involved over 15,000 children and senior citizens in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. The events have evoked deep emotion as students and senior citizens had tears in their eyes, as the pledge was being read out. Senior citizens who participated in the event also received free check-ups at the Wockhardt Eye Hospital.
Wockhardt is keen that in a year's time 1 million school children take the Suraksha Bandhan pledge.
Suraksha Bandhan will reinforce our role not only as a provider of world-class affordable care, but as a community - conscious institution.
|
|