When Mohini, 47, a software professional, launched Smiling Hands, a free physiotherapy centre for the elderly in Gurugram, she did not imagine the response would be overwhelming.
"I came up with the idea when my arthritic mother refused physiotherapy because it was a long, expensive treatment with temporary relief," said Mohini, who had had other older people like her mother-in-law tell her the same thing.
"I wanted to set up a home-like centre, where anybody above the age of 60 could avail physiotherapy sessions free of cost and get some relief from their pain. I envisioned a place where people would not only come for physiotherapy but have someone willing to listen to them in a compassionate environment--a place where they not only get relief from their pain but also make some friends," she said.
Smiling Hands is fully funded by Mohini and her husband.
"My husband and I are working professionals and take care of everything from the rent of this centre, the doctors' and employees' salaries to maintenance and equipment costs," she said.
Chander Kanta, 73, a retired schoolteacher, has arthritis and has been coming to Smiling Hands for physiotherapy three to four days a week since its inception in 2015.
"This place is spacious and clean, and the services are excellent; everyone is treated equally well here. I missed coming here during the pandemic, but the people from the centre used to call us regularly to check on our ailments and offered help online," she said.
Running such a facility comes with its challenges: finding doctors who believe in the cause and are willing to provide their services at moderate salaries.
"Our doctors often get opportunities with higher salaries and move on. However, we are lucky that we are still in touch with almost all of them. They have helped us find replacements and even visit us when needed," said Singh.
The 1,000 sqft. facility is located on a wide road with ample parking and good connectivity near DLF Cyber City, the prominent business hub in Gurugran.
"There are two or three physiotherapy doctors and one centre manager. We accept only 12 to 15 patients daily and are open from Monday to Saturday," said Mohini.
The centre provides high-quality physiotherapy and often has affluent visitors from some of the most expensive localities in Gurugran.
"We have several visitors who can avail services at the big healthcare providers, but they choose our place. This speaks volumes about the quality of physiotherapy services we provide at Smiling Hands," she said.
And it's not just one-on-one sessions; quarterly workshops and seminars are also organized to raise awareness on pain and how they can benefit by being cautious and exercising regularly.
During Covid-19, the centre remained non-operational, but the doctors were available on phone and video calls.
"What the patients need is the care of Smiling Hands. With several of our regular visitors having empty nests as their sons and daughters are in other cities or countries, this centre has become an important emotional support system," she said.
(Lubna Salim is a freelance journalist from Delhi.)