President Murmu to inaugurate Indian-American built cancer hospital in Karnataka

By Lalit K. Jha
     San Francisco, Dec 26 (PTI) An Indian-American doctor has donated his family fortunes to build a cancer hospital in the rural parts of his home state of Karnataka. President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the hospital.
     “Honourable President of India, Droupadi Muramu, has accepted the invitation and will inaugurate the newly built Dr Sampat Kumar S. Shivangi Cancer Hospital on December 30 in Belgagavi, Karnataka,” Dr Sampat Shivangi said in a statement.
     “What an honour, the President of India will be inaugurating my dream facility, a most memorable and modern hospital in Belgaum, my home district, and at the medical college where I was an Assistant Professor,” he said.
     “Having lived in India for three decades, in not so privileged and progressive parts of the world, it always touched my heart and Atma why so, and why not we all have an equal playing field on the Earth,” the Mississippi-based doctor said.
     “During my years in hospitals as a student, resident and staff, I was devastated. I had a great desire to do something that helps people, including the need to establish a cancer hospital in my native town where people have to travel hundreds of miles away for such treatment and possibly could not afford the travel, stay, or medical expenses,” he said.
     Dr Shivangi said he went to his hometown in Karnataka to set up a Cancer hospital wherein he formed a committee and raised funds. “Made several trips to India and struggled to do something good, but returned home empty-handed,” he said.
     His efforts and love to give back to his motherland came to fruition when he saw “an opportunity in my district to establish a world-class facility. I did not want to let it go. After several trips to India and collaborating with the local authorities, I am excited that Dr. Sampat Kumar S Shivanagi Cancer Hospital has become a reality”, he said.
     An eminent Indian-American community leader, Dr. Shivangi hopes that many more will follow him just as his dream has come true.
     “I urge my fellow Indo-American physicians to join this movement and help change the world for the better. My humble request is that let us be the change, and bring this movement to make our world different tomorrow. I hope my prayers will be answered one day and all humanity lives in a better world,” he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)