Free healthcare initiative in Khammam: Private hospital offers free consultation for voters

If 30 to 40 percent voters stay away from voting it would defeat the very purpose of elections, the doctor felt. Staying away from voting has become a fashion especially in urban areas and among the educated sections.

Khammam: A private hospital in Khammam came up with an innovative offer to those who vote in Lok Sabha elections on May 13 and graduate constituency MLC elections on May27.

Sri Raksha Hospital located in Nehru Nagar in Khammam city is offering free consultation for two months to the individuals who vote in the elections.

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The hospital is also offering free telemedicine facility for one year by means of video consultation through the hospital’s app ‘wetreat’.

Speaking to Telanagana Today, the hospital chairman Dr. G Venkateshwarlu informed that the initiative is aimed at motivating the public to vote in the upcoming elections as well as to increase the voting percentage.

Referring to low voter turnout in recently held first two phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in which 66.1 and 66.7 voting percentage was recorded respectively as against 69.4 and 69.2 percent voting in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said the public is undermining the importance of voting.

In a democratic system public participation in the electoral process is very crucial for the success of the democracy. A right candidate could be elected only if there is a higher voter turnout.

If 30 to 40 percent voters stay away from voting it would defeat the very purpose of elections, the doctor felt. Staying away from voting has become a fashion especially in urban areas and among the educated sections.

It is sad that despite appeals from the government mechanism and the celebrities to vote, people are shying away from casting their vote in the elections, Dr. Venkateshwarlu lamented. Being candid, he noted that individuals might not vote just for availing free medical consultation offered by the hospital but the initiative would certainly serve as an encouragement.

“Casting vote in elections is a constitutional right and everyone must exercise the right and that is what we want to highlight with the initiative”, he added. Dr. Venkateshwarlu along with doctors Manasa, Shaik Edukondalu, Sathish, Garlapati Venkatesh and others released a voter awareness poster with a slogan ‘Your vote, your voice make it count’.