In the bustling suburb of Hadapsar, Pune, a modest hospital named Medicare General and Maternity Hospital is doing something revolutionary. Here, girls are not just born; they are celebrated. The man behind this beautiful change is Dr. Ganesh Rakh, a doctor whose mission goes far beyond medicine. Since 2012, he has waived all delivery charges for girl children, determined to challenge the deep-rooted gender bias that stains Indian society.

A Childhood of Struggle, A Soul Shaped by Compassion

Dr. Rakh’s journey is a very beautiful one. Born to a coolie father and a maid mother, his dreams of becoming a wrestler were soon replaced by his mother’s insistence that he study hard and escape the cycle of poverty. The path was anything but easy; he faced discrimination, financial hardship, and societal pressure. But these very struggles shaped his compassion and his desire to uplift the underprivileged. In 2007, he founded his hospital with the goal of serving those who couldn’t afford basic healthcare. But it was a shocking realization in 2011 that gave him a new way.

The Moment That Changed Everything

The 2011 Indian census showed a heartbreaking reality: only 914 girls for every 1,000 boys under the age of seven, a sharp drop from 976 in 1961. As the father of a nine-year-old daughter himself, this statistic shook Dr. Rakh deeply. Around the same time, he began to notice a disturbing pattern in his own hospital. Whenever a boy was born, the family celebrated with sweets and smiles. But if a girl was born, there were tears, complaints, and even demands for discounts on the delivery charges. And so, Dr. Rakh made a simple but powerful decision: if the baby is a girl, there will be no charge.

Birthdays, Not Bills

Today, whenever a girl is born at his hospital, the atmosphere is festive. Cakes are cut, sweets distributed, and roses handed out by staff, all to send a clear message: a girl’s life is precious. This small act has created ripples of change. More than 2,000 girls have been delivered in his hospital without a single rupee being charged. Even intensive care for newborn girls is provided free if needed, something many families wouldn’t demand unless the baby was a boy. Today many doctors are offering free or discounted deliveries for baby girls. Inspired by Dr. Rakh, social workers and hospitals across cities like Gurgaon have also joined the movement. Even pharmacists and diagnostic labs have begun offering discounts to families with newborn daughters.

This isn’t just about numbers or cost; it’s about healing a broken mindset. In a culture where daughters are often seen as burdens, Dr. Rakh has created a space where they are cherished. His work is more than a medical service; it’s an emotional revolution, touching the hearts of mothers, fathers, nurses, and strangers alike. Dr. Rakh is now urging both public and private hospitals to adopt similar practices and push for policy-level change. His dream is to build a society where every girl is welcomed with the same love and joy as a boy. In the quiet corridors of hospitals, where cries of newborns echo daily, Dr. Ganesh Rakh has found a way to fill the silence with celebration and hope.