India: On the occasion of its 36th Foundation Day, Aster DM Healthcare has unveiled its year-long ‘Kindness is a Habit’ campaign under its CSR arm – Aster Volunteers. Under this campaign, the group will encourage people across the world to adopt kindness and compassion as an everyday habit and encourage their friends, families, and society to do the same. As a first step, the organisation has announced 1000 surgeries for underprivileged patients through its 26 Aster hospitals in seven countries including India alongside multiple environmental initiatives. Out of these 25 per cent or 250 surgeries will be offered free of cost and the rest will be offered at a 50 per cent+ discount.
As another Act of Kindness towards our planet and environment, employees across hospitals of Aster DM Healthcare in India planted and distributed more than 1000 saplings alongside planting of saplings at Naseera Botanical Garden at Dr. Moopen’s Medical College in Wayanad, Kerala. In GCC, employees planted 500 Ghaf and Cedar trees in the desert of UAE. In an effort to make its facilities energy efficient, solar panels covering the entire car park at Medcare Multispecialty Hospital in Dubai were launched. Solar energy generated through the panels would directly be used to power the hospital.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare said, “Since we started our journey in Dubai as a healthcare provider in 1987, giving back to the people in need has been ingrained in our DNA. As we expanded into a major corporate organization, through Aster Volunteers, we exponentially increased our compassionate activities, realising that an act of kindness can have a tremendous impact on society, making the world a better place for all. With this thought, we are launching the “Kindness is a Habit” campaign under Aster Volunteers.”
He further added, “The year-long campaign will provide free and subsidized treatment to over 1,000 needy patients. To be kind to the environment and the earth, we are planting thousands of trees during the campaign. To show our gratitude to over 28,000 Aster employees, we are providing each one of them with a free health checkup. During the campaign period, we will encourage others to join the cause and share their acts of kindness on social media using the hashtag #Kindnessisahabit to create a movement.”
While starting with Aster’s own employees, the year-long campaign would encourage other corporates, youngsters, students, NGOs, and people in general to join the cause. It can be through simple acts like helping a blind person cross the road or taking an old patient in need to the hospital, individuals or families or groups of people or communities can come together to adopt kindness as a habit. Those who would like to encourage others to join the cause can share their acts of kindness on social media and use the hashtag #Kindnessisahabit to create a movement. They can also tag @astervolunteers and @asterdmhealthcare.
Aster is also dedicating its 36th Foundation Day to the well-being of its employees and will offer a free Annual Health Check-up to all its 28,000+ employees in each of the seven countries.