"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
3 May 2023
Dr Ganesh Rakh, a doctor from Pune, has made it his mission to save the girl child through his unique initiative. He runs a maternity-cum-multi-speciality hospital in Pune and waives off his fees if the baby delivered is a girl. This noble initiative called the "Beti Bachao" (Save the Girl Child) initiative, began 11 years ago and has delivered more than 2,400 girls without charging a single penny from the family.
The hospital celebrates every time a woman delivers a girl child by cutting cakes and showering petals on the parents. The doctor also arranges for a ride home for the mothers and their infant daughters in a decked-up auto-rickshaw upon their discharge from the hospital.
Dr. Rakh's efforts are in line with creating awareness about gender equality and ending the practice of female foeticide. He came up with this initiative when he was disheartened by the families who shied away from accepting their girl child.
As per a government survey, there were over six crore cases of female foeticide in the last 10 years. Dr. Rakh's initiative is a significant step towards creating a more gender-equal society and stopping the practice of female foeticide. His efforts have made a remarkable drop in cases of female infanticide, and his work serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play in creating a more gender-equal society.
