Demonetisation did not come in the way of students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Akkulam, raising an amount of Rs.1.21 lakh for the patients of Government Medical College Hospital here.
The money, raised by students as part of the ‘Joy of Giving’ campaign of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), was handed over by school Principal Jose Mathew, teachers, and students of the school charity club to hospital Superintendent Sharmad M.S. in the school Assembly on Wednesday morning.
In his address, Dr. Sharmad lauded the students’ efforts to help the needy. He also called on the public and organisations of charity to give more priority to the medical college hospital as it catered to a large number of patients from most disadvantaged sections of society, many of them unable to pay for their food or medicines.
Sanjeev Nair of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine of the medical college and E. Shaji, representative of the Parent-Teacher Association, were present on the occasion.
Coinciding with the KVS Foundation Day celebrations on December 15, the fund-raising was done by the charity club in a matter of days.
“Students, teachers, and staff contributed generously,” the school Principal said.
The collection builds upon the club’s efforts in the years past. Last year, the school had handed over Rs.1 lakh to snake-catcher Vava Suresh.
The year before, it had contributed Rs.81,000 to Pallium India, and in 2013, Rs.53,000 to the Regional Cancer Centre here.
The money will be used for medicines and other needs of patients below the poverty line who are undergoing treatment at the hospital, poor patients without treatment cards and from other States, patients from care homes and Abhaya, and those reduced to penury on account of their illness.
Those who wish to donate money exclusively for the help of poor patients at the hospital can send it to account no 67094604029, IFSC code - SBTR 0000029 at the State Bank of Travancore branch, Medical College. They will also receive receipts for the sum donated from the hospital superintendent’s office, which can be used for income tax exemption.
