Renovation of a hospital offering free care in Karnataka, India

The Air Liquide Foundation is helping to renovate a hospital offering free care in Halligudi in the state of Karnataka in southern India.

The association France Inde Karnataka (FIK) was founded in 1994 by Dr. Mahesh Guatradyal, who was born in Karnataka. This association mainly manages a hospital offering free care in Halligudi, a disadvantaged rural area in the heart of Karnataka. This hospital admits, each year, nearly 30,000 patients and carries out prevention and information campaigns aimed at the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and more particularly women and children.

The hospital’s team has two permanent doctors and a registered nurse. For lack of means, the hospital operates with difficulty due to unpredictable electricity cuts.

The support of the Air Liquide Foundation has permitted the FIK to repair the electrical installations and finance the investment needed to purchase batteries supplied by solar panels to ensure the hospital’s autonomy in electricity.