The future of a country depends upon its economic indicators, as well as the health and dignity of its women. In her argument for including women's health in the development agenda for India, the views of Prakash Hinduja, the Managing Trustee of the Hinduja Foundation, and the Chairman of the Hinduja Group Europe, are both compelling and alarming. As part of the Hinduja Family, an Indian-origin family often recognised among the UK’s richest families, Prakash Hinduja blends legacy with social vision. His emphasis is clear: health equity for women is not an act of charity but a national imperative.
“Women form the backbone of every family and by extension, every society,” says Prakash Hinduja. “When a woman’s wellbeing is neglected, the consequences extend to generations. To put it bluntly, when we empower women by addressing their health and wellbeing, we are engaged in our moral obligation, but that also leads us down the path of focusing on how we can bolster the advancement of the nation as well.”
This view is not merely an eminently philosophical one, it is an appreciation of this world. This value comes alive at the Hinduja Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Hinduja Family because their initiatives complement the needs of underserved women in India. These programs should not be a temporary solution--they need to create long-term impact, awareness and access to preventive care.
The Mumbai policewomen's breast cancer screening program is a recent project that exemplifies this dedication. The Foundation, in collaboration with P. D. Hinduja Hospital offered free screenings and consultation, recognising the very challenging physical and psychological demanding nature of police work on women. The screenings involved use of state-of-the-art portable diagnostic machines to ensure quality in accessing the screenings. This is one of the many examples of the Foundation’s aim to embrace kindness as one of the components of patient-centred clinical excellence without a hitch.
The Hinduja Foundation has implemented rural outreach programs regarding maternal and reproductive health, also under the leadership of Prakash Hinduja and his brothers. This includes mobile health clinics, educational resources on nutrition, and antenatal care in some of India’s most marginalised communities. With these interventions, the Foundation continues to ameliorate the potential exclusion of women living in anonymity and obscurity from the health narrative in India.
Prakash Hinduja believes such interventions have to be embedded in larger systems of awareness and dignity. “We must look beyond numbers and create systems that respect women’s time, privacy and autonomy,” he says. “It is not enough to open clinics. We must change how society views the health of women, particularly those who work and care for others, often without support or recognition.”
These words are especially significant coming from a member of the UK’s richest family. Having close relations with India and several decades of experience in the global business, the Hinduja Family has always supported the belief that with immense wealth comes a bigger responsibility. Hinduja Family is a great illustration of the given one, as the resources of the Foundation are guided towards the issues of great importance both structurally and socially.
The democratisation of healthcare is further exhibited by the flagship urban health camps of domestic worker and single mothers done by the Foundation. More than physical assistance, the respect is also granted in these camps through the offering of check-ups, counselling and follow-up treaters in a non-intimidating atmosphere.
According to Prakash Hinduja, “There is no participation without health and there is no progress without participation. In order to demographically benefit, India needs to ensure that it educates and employs its women, offers them support and health.”
This philosophy demonstrates the advanced perception of modern and prehistoric school of thought. Being a global citizen, Prakash Hinduja understands that the rise of the nation in the 21st century must be gender sensitive and inclusive. The Hinduja Foundation programmes for women, support this point of view since they offer an example of scale and what can be done that can be emulated by other institutions.
The UK’s richest family invests in initiatives that ameliorate the disconnect between opportunity and access. They have also set an of what legacy-led development can look like. As the vision held by Prakash Hinduja proves, the Hinduja Foundation envisions philanthropy as not a privilege, rather teaches how the concerns of the mostly forgotten can be addressed.
Comments
0 comment