Medical specialists and hospital staff volunteer at free medical camp

GEORGETOWN: In an inspiring display of compassion and dedication, medical specialists and hospital staff generously volunteer their expertise and time to provide essential healthcare services to the underprivileged at the Sivasanta Medical Camp, located at 11 River Road, adjacent to the Tamil school.

The free medical camp, established by the welfare subcommittee of the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA) at the request of Swami Shantanand Saraswathi, TFA's founder and advisor, embodies the organisation's motto ‘Love for God and Service for Fellow Beings.’ TFA, a non-profit organisation, nurtures young artistes in performing traditional Indian dances and musical instruments such as the harmonium and sitar. It also demonstrates its commitment to serving others through its charitable initiatives. In the spirit of this motto, the medical camp operates with a sense of servitude, offering essential healthcare services to those in need without expectation of anything in return.

P. Murugiah, 67, the coordinator of the medical camp, shared that TFA has been extending care to the less fortunate since 2000, offering a range of free general and specialist consultations and treatments. “Over 45 specialists and general practitioners (GP), and more than 20 nurses and hospital staff volunteer at Sivasanta. On service night, which falls on every Thursday, we usually have two specialists and one GP on duty, and at least five other volunteers to help with taking the patient’s blood pressure and sugar level,” he said. On average, the medical camp receives 30 visitors over two hours from 7 pm to 9 pm.

"The specialists who take turns volunteering their services include ear, nose, and throat, eye care, dermatology, orthopaedics, respiratory care, paediatrics, gynaecology, cardiology, nephrology, neurology, dentistry, oncology, and urology.

“Our doctors will also prepare and make recommendations for patients to seek further treatment at the Penang General Hospital.

“I coordinate the roster with our volunteers and ensure that everything runs smoothly. Most of our volunteers are also members of the Penang Hindu Association (PHA),” said Murugiah, who is also the president of PHA.

"Over the past five years, we have donated more than 20 medical beds for bedridden patients and 45 wheelchairs to the disabled and senior citizens of all races,” he said. “Other than that, we also provide milk powder and diapers for infants and the elderly and provide free prescription glasses for the poor. So far, we have donated more than 500  pairs of spectacles to schoolgoing and college students, especially those who face financial difficulties.”

The Sivasanta Medical Camp operates from a building owned by the local council. “Without our local council’s generous support, all these would not have been possible. We are really grateful for the continuous assistance and cooperation provided by the council,” said Murugiah. “Apart from that, we are also thankful towards our regular donors for supporting us financially.”

These selfless individuals, who dedicate themselves to transforming the lives of the vulnerable, truly embrace the essence of humanitarianism and community spirit — ideals to which everyone can aspire.

 

 

 

 

Free ‘tennis coaching’ for underprivileged children

 

GEORGETOWN: Underprivileged children in Penang now have the opportunity to learn tennis from qualified coaches with at least an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Level 2 Certification and assisted by a group of senior and experienced coaches.

“The entire training programme will take six months to complete, and it is open for students aged between 7 and 14 years old,” said K. Manimaran, 56, the founder and head coach of Proace Tennis Academy, which operates from two tennis courts at the St. Xavier’s Institution at Lebuh Farquhar.

“Tennis, like many other sports, is not just about the sport itself. It is about character building and integrating life’s lessons such as discipline, integrity, and ethics into the sport itself. In the past two years, we have had students participating in Penang School Sports Council (MSSPP) and Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) with a few medals won,” he said.

Last year, sisters Agasini, 18, and Agilasini Chandramogan, 17, represented their respective schools in MSSPP. Agasini went on to represent Penang State in MSSM. Currently, Agasini is taking her SPM exams at SMK Tunku Puan Habsah, while Agilasini is attending SMK Convent Green Lane.

“We have about 200 children who have registered with us since our programme started in 2018. However, this is the first time we are getting funded by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA). Previously, we were running the programme through public funds,” said Manimaran, who was a Penang State tennis player in the 80s.

“At the moment, we have more boys than girls, and we hope to get more girls interested in pursuing tennis as a career,” he said. “We hope to produce talented tennis players who will excel and represent our country in major tournaments overseas. With proper training, these students can also participate in international workshops and tennis clinics by professional tennis players.

"We also have 15-20 participants from Ramakrishna Ashrama in our academy, and some students even travel from as far as Juru and Kepala Batas,” he said. Ramakrishna Ashrama is an orphanage and Tamil primary school for Indian children aged between 6 and 20 years old and is located at Scotland Road in Penang.

Manimaran established Proace Tennis Academy in April 2018 with hopes of enhancing the lives of underprivileged children. “It will be my dream come true if one of our students secures a college or university tennis scholarship to further their studies overseas. In fact, some tennis scholarships cover up to 100% of the costs.

“Years back, Datuk Dhinagaran, a good friend of mine kept encouraging me to start coaching. He even sponsored me with equipment such as rackets and tennis balls to start the programme. Later on, Ramkarpal Singh, the former Deputy Minister of Law and Institutional Reforms, became our academy’s patron and continued to help us financially.” Datuk Dhinagaran Jayabalan owns Jaya Catering and Restaurant in Gelugor.

“Sports is one way to keep children occupied and stay away from bad influences. Proace Tennis Academy provides the children with skills and knowledge, and valuable life lessons such as teamwork and humility. This tennis academy adapted to the new normal and took tennis to the next level,” said Ramkarpal.

The new intake will commence classes from 22 January 2024 until 22 July 2024. The classes will be held weekly on Saturdays from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm at St. Xavier’s Institution on Farquhar Street. Each coach will be responsible for 8 to 10 students, and equipment will be provided.