Express News Service
DEHRADUN: A group of people from Uttarakhand and Canada came together to upgrade a 20-bed community health center (CHC) in Naugaun of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand. The government medical facility is an upcoming one which aims to cater to a rural population of over 1000 in nearby villages.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Dr Shikha Prakash, resident of Dehradun and co-founder of ‘Valley Culture’ initiative which preserves the traditional food practices of Uttrakhand and bridges the gap between Rural and Urban India by bringing the fresh Himalayan produces at their doorstep said, “This is our payback to our farmers and the people of Uttarakhand. The least we could do with blessings of honorable governor Ma’am and upfront officials such as district magistrate of Uttarakashi and officials from the Governor’s House including ADC to the governor (Police) Ruchita Juyal.”
Prakash, recalled the day when her compatriots from foreign countries including Kapil Gupta from Canada talked about doing something meaningful. The group supplied total 18 kind of items including wheelchairs, IV stand, stretcher trollys, computer tables and a 20KV generator worth over Rs 10 lakh.
The group came together after learning that local government facility needs an upgrade and decided to contribute for the cause. “We decided to do a fund raiser with a single goal in mind, save lives. Within 10 days we were able to plan and raise funds to upgrade the CHC Navgaon in Uttarkashi for a 20-bed setup including installing a 20KV generator. This endeavour would not only be beneficial for immediate assistance but also be a benchmark for post COVID medical needs,” said Kapil Gupta who resides in Canada at the moment.
Named as “India Sahayoga” by the group, the goal of raising funds and delivering the items in the medical facility was achieved in a span of 10 days with the motto – ‘This time from Urban India to Rural India’.