Warangal: Social activist Keerthy Satish sets an example

Meet Sathish Kumar Keerthy, an STI (sexually transmitted infections) counsellor at the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Warangal.

Warangal: He started helping his friends by doing their homework to ‘protect’ them from being beaten by teachers in school. Later in life, he studied sociology and became a social activist, going on to win accolades and awards for his services.

Meet Sathish Kumar Keerthy, an STI (sexually transmitted infections) counsellor at the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Warangal.

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“In 1992, in the early days of HIV/AIDS detection in India, I heard many sad stories about the infected people. I noticed that most of the infected people were from the 15-35 years age group. I was moved by their pathetic stories. So I decided to create awareness among students and youth of that age group. Even while I was in the teaching profession, I studied about the reasons and effects of HIV/AIDS. Since then, I have conducted many awareness programmes,” Satish Kumar told ‘Telangana Today’.

Since many people are losing their precious lives due to non-availability of blood during the medical emergency, Keerthy started campaigning to encourage people to donate blood. He led from the front, donating blood 50 times.

“I started donating my blood twice a year since 1995 and till date I have donated 50 times (units). Recognising my service, the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) has made me a life member,” he said.

Moved by the plight of visually challenged people, Keerthy Satish is also encouraging people to donate the eyes of their dear ones after death.

“Besides pledging to donate my eyes after my death to Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, Hyderabad, in 1999, I also donated the eyes of my mother Bharatha Lakshmi. So far, I have helped to collect 66 pairs of cornea,” Satish, a native of Mahabubabad town, said, adding he had even seen that the eyes of his paternal aunt Podishetti Chandrakala were donated to the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad.

Satish Kumar is also a singer, lyricist, mimicry artist and music director. He won several district and state level awards for his service activities, and has his name entered in the Telugu Book of Records and the Book of Telangana Records.