SBI Foundation takes healthcare to village doorsteps

Gadag: Access to basic healthcare remains a major challenge in rural India, where many villages are located far from primary health centres. To bridge this gap, the SBI Foundation is providing medical services to 25 villages in Gadag district through its Sanjeevani Mobile Medical Service under the Gram Seva Programme. The mobile unit, equipped with a doctor and nurse, delivers primary healthcare at villagers' doorsteps, reducing the need for long, costly travel.Swapan Dhar, managing director and CEO of SBI Foundation, said the organisation's role goes beyond banking, focusing on social responsibility and inclusive development. Through Gram Seva and similar initiatives, SBI aims to strengthen access to essential services in rural areas across 27 states. Launched in 2020–21 in partnership with the Sankalpa Rural Development Society (SRDS), the programme has served over 12,500 people.SRDS CEO Sikandar Meeranaik noted that the mobile unit follows a fixed village schedule, ensuring reliable access. Patients receive free check-ups and low-cost medicines, reinforcing that healthcare is a necessity, not a privilege.Doctors and residents say the service has brought both convenience and financial relief. Villagers who earlier spent up to Rs 200 on travel and treatment now receive check-ups, tests and subsidised medicines within their own villages, making healthcare far more accessible and affordable.