In 2020, a few months into the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were shelling out lakhs for treatment against the novel coronavirus. Hospitals, which were working with limited resources, saw people queueing up outside their doors, waiting for vacant beds and other medical assistance. This was the situation in private hospitals across the country. However, seeing that the people of his city needed help, Dr B Sujeeth of Hyderabad decided to give medical advice to COVID-19 patients there for free.
Dr Sujeeth treats the COVID-19 patients via online communication. It all started with one patient, who spread the word of the doctor’s free and high-quality treatment. Soon, without any advertisement efforts on his part, he started receiving calls from hundreds of new patients, who had heard of him through word of mouth.
“In the peak stage of the pandemic, I used to get calls from people who were in a panic after they were denied beds at the hospital. I used to advise them to go to their homes, isolate themselves first and from there I used to start my treatment,” says Dr Sujeeth, who is also a consultant surgeon at a private hospital in the city.
The doctor would monitor his patients three to four times a day. Patients would send him information regarding their vitals, such as oxygen levels and temperature via WhatsApp, and receive advice on further treatments accordingly. Sometimes, as many as seven to 10 people would test positive for the coronavirus at a time, and Dr Sujeeth would monitor them all.
“There was a lot of responsibility while treating each of the patients. Luckily most of my patients recovered within two weeks of the treatment and there were no complications,” the doctor shares, adding that he also treated people with comorbidities.
His patients have testified to the doctor’s skill and knowledge in treating them. Suresh K, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 a few months ago, describes Dr Sujeeth as a ‘healer’. “I tested negative within two weeks of contracting the virus. I have suggested his service to many of my friends who were in a dilemma on what to do, when they or their family members were tested positive. Dr Sujeeth talks to the patients calmly, understands their condition and treats them accordingly. I felt so relieved while getting treatment from him. He can be called as a healer and stress buster for us.”
Dr Sujeeth would provide medical assistance to those in need even before the outbreak of the pandemic. He runs a non-profit organisation, the Sujeeth Foundation, which aims to make healthcare affordable for all and to create awareness about health issues. He continues to provide medical assistance for COVID-19 patients through online communications. One can also visit the Sujeeth Foundation clinic for assistance.
“I have a long-term dream to make health care affordable to the economically weaker sections of the society. It's not easy to come out of a hospital without spending lakhs for complicated health issues. In such circumstances, I would like to build a hospital where anyone can walk in to get tested and treated within the bracket of Rs 5,000. Even for surgeries,” the doctor expresses.
While he is working on achieving his dream, Dr Sujeeth currently holds free consultations from Monday to Friday at the Sujeeth Foundation clinic, located in Manikonda in Hyderabad. The foundation also conducts basic health check-ups for 250 students from economically weak backgrounds, through a local government school. The teachers at the school are trained in administering medicines to students who require them as well.
Dr Sujeeth’s work is widely appreciated, and not just by those he has treated. Late singer S P Balasubrahmanyam donated valuable laboratory equipment to the Sujeeth Foundation, at a cost of Rs 3.26 lakh, in December 2019.
“The plan is to do medical tests and give medicines to those who cannot afford them, at less than 30% of what is taken outside, and to make it affordable to the weaker sections,” the doctor shares.