Helping Hand Foundation (HHF) holding a medical camp in Maheshwaram mandal of Rangareddy district
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Hyderabad-based healthcare NGO, Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), released its annual performance report for 2024, revealing that one in three households in Hyderabad’s urban and peri-urban settlements has at least one member suffering from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD), cancer, or stroke. These illnesses are increasingly affecting younger and middle-aged individuals, leading to high morbidity, loss of livelihoods and significant financial hardships.
High burden
A key finding from HHF’s survey highlights a surge in cancer cases, particularly oral cancer among young adults in the Old City. In 2024 alone, the foundation received over 300 financial assistance requests for cancer treatment, with 25% of these cases involving cancer of the mouth, tongue, or oral cavity. Similarly, NCDs are on the rise in rural areas, with HHF’s collaboration with Wipro Care in 17 villages of Maheshwaram revealing that 22% of the population suffers from diabetes, hypertension, or both.
Another concerning trend observed in the report is the increasing incidence of brain strokes or cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) in younger age groups. The HHF Rehabilitation Centre provided treatment to 225 stroke patients in 2024 on a not-for-profit basis.
The NGO’s financial report for 2024 states that its gross receipts stood at ₹24 crore, which enabled HHF to bridge health and social inequities in Hyderabad. Mujtaba Hasan Askari, founder of HHF, noted that their interventions have helped save over ₹100 crore in out-of-pocket medical expenses for marginalised communities.
Bridging the gap
HHF continues to play a crucial role in linking economically vulnerable patients to free medical treatment through its help desks in 13 government hospitals. In 2024, the NGO facilitated treatment for 3,443 patients, saving them an estimated ₹44 crore in out-of-pocket medical expenses. Additionally, nearly 13.83 lakh patients benefited from HHF’s support services, which include navigational assistance, wheelchair and stretcher support, and counselling in hospitals such as Osmania General Hospital (OGH), Gandhi Hospital, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre (MNJIO RCC), Government ENT Hospital and Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, among others.
The foundation also operates 12 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across more than 90 urban and peri-urban slums in collaboration with organisations like SEED-USA, AMPI and Wipro Care. These centres provided free treatment to 5.52 lakh patients in 2024, with 40% of cases attributed to infectious and seasonal diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, dengue and upper respiratory tract infections.
Addressing malnutrition
As per the report, HHF’s school health programme screened nearly 5,000 students from urban slum settlements, revealing alarming levels of malnutrition. The report indicates that 27 to 28% of children aged three to eight years were stunted, while 24% suffered from wasting, signs of severe malnutrition among economically weaker sections. Furthermore, 30% of the children examined were found to be anaemic.
Published – March 09, 2025 07:22 pm IST