Retired Kannada teacher donates his pension money for two ECG machines

Mangaluru: K Venkataraja Yelachithaya,75, a retired Kannada teacher, has consistently dedicated a portion of his pension for various social causes. However, his commitment to giving back took on a new dimension, after he faced a personal health crisis last year. Following a cardiac issue that landed him in the ICU last year, Yelachithaya decided to sponsor an ECG machine for the Cardiology at Doorstep Foundation, founded by Dr Padmanabh Kamath.This foundation provides healthcare by supplying ECG machines and other ancillary equipment to primary health centres in remote areas, ensuring instant support and medical care for patients in these regions, based on reports read on WhatsApp.
Shrinidhi, headmaster at Alva’s Kannada Medium School, Moodbidri, and Yelachithaya’s son, said, “My father, during his service as a teacher, always helped students in need. He understood the difficulties of students. He worked as a teacher at Swami Vivekananda PU College, Yedapadav (high school section). For 21 years, his students recorded 100% results in Kannada in SSLC. During a recent routine checkup, exactly a year later, my father surprised his doctor by donating funds for another ECG machine. He is our inspiration and role model, as he has always helped the needy, without letting anyone know about it,” Shrinidhi added.
Dr Padmanabh Kamath, consultant cardiologist at KMC Manipal, said, “It is touching to receive contributions from pensioners, especially after the age of 65, when there is a lot of financial and health insecurity. They usually want to preserve their money for their needs, especially in cases where elders are living on their own. Interestingly, this donation was made on the first anniversary of his ICU admission. Last June, he was in the hospital’s ICU, battling for his life. He believes he has got a second life, and understands the importance of an ECG in rural areas,” Dr Kamath said.
In the past, a teacher from Guttigaru, who passed away last year, also contributed money for an ECG machine. She wanted an ECG machine to be installed in Guttigaru about four years ago.
Dr Kamath said CAD is close to having 1,000 ECG machines provided across India. “We are short by about 20 machines. However, my emphasis is not on numbers. This year, we are reviewing all the machines that have been provided. We are looking for problem areas, any difficulties encountered, or any other technical and logistical issues. After having given so many machines, if they are not utilized, then the purpose is lost. Not only through telephonic conversations, but through personal visits we are ensuring that the machines are put to the best use,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr Kamath is also exploring the use of AI to reduce the need for individual reporting. Discussions are ongoing with software experts.