Doctor travels 200 km with ailing boy to treat him for free

With only a few hundred rupees in his pocket to go with the hope in his heart that his son's health would improve, Ganpat Ghorpade travelled over 200 km with his wife and ailing son to arrive in Mumbai in January. Giving the family reassuring company in this journey was Dr Yeshwant Ghabhale of civic-run Sion hospital, who had promised to shoulder the responsibility of treating the three-year-old child in the city.

Peace, at last: After his second surgery last month, Sahil is recuperating in the general ward

"The boy's father works as a daily wage labourer in a remote village in Ahmednagar. I met the family when I was visiting the place. After seeing the child's sonography report, I noticed that he looked pale, had abdominal distention and that he had developed bacterial infection, due to which his right kidney had been affected," said Dr Yeshwant Ghabhale, associate professor in the Paediatrics department at the hospital.

Ghabhale, who did not want to be photographed, added, "The boy needed to be admitted to a hospital with adequate facilities and with the help of some well-wishers, we managed to raise Rs 2,000 after which he was brought to Mumbai."

After he was brought to the city, Sahil was diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) which results in the flow of urine in the reverse direction from the bladder back into the kidneys. In a healthy system, urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder.

Since January 17, when Sahil was admitted to the paediatrics ward, he has undergone two major operations to treat the defect and the bacterial infection affecting his kidney. While the second surgery was conducted in mid-February, the young boy continues to recuperate in the general ward. "Sahil is still in some pain, but we are hoping he will recover soon. My wife is expecting our second child. After her delivery and when Sahil completely recovers, we will head back to our village," added Ganpat.