Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Doctor Builds Free Hospital to Transform Lives Through Reconstruction
Dr Bharatendu Swain is a doctor who wanted to help people with physical problems they were born with or developed after injuries.
He saw that some patients could not pay for operations and had to leave without help.
In 2001, he decided to create a special hospital for these patients.
That hospital, called Aakar Asha Hospital, opened in 2013.
At first, some patients paid smaller fees so others could receive free treatment.
During the pandemic, the hospital began treating everyone for free.
Doctors there help people speak, move, walk, swallow and use their hands.
The hospital says it has changed more than 13,500 lives.
Swain believes these operations can give people confidence and benefits that last a lifetime.
Dr Bharatendu Swain founded Aakar Asha Hospital after seeing patients leave without reconstructive surgery because they could not afford it.
A 2001 train journey helped convince Swain to create a dedicated institution for reconstructive surgery.
Aakar Asha began in 2013 with a 60:40 model, treating six patients free for every four paying reduced rates.
During the pandemic, the hospital removed its billing section and began treating every patient free of charge.
The hospital has transformed more than 13,500 lives, while surveys estimated that 13% of people have a correctable physical deformity.
- Who
- Dr Bharatendu Swain and the patients treated by Aakar Asha Hospital.
- What
- The creation and expansion of a hospital providing free reconstructive surgery for physical deformities.
- When
- Swain made the decision in June 2001; Aakar Asha began in 2013, and its fully free-care model started during the pandemic.
- Where
- Aakar Asha Hospital began in Kukatpally, India; surveys also covered rural and tribal districts.
- Why
- Swain wanted to help people who could not afford surgery for birth defects, burns, trauma and tumour-related deformities.
- Founder
- Dr Bharatendu Swain
- Hospital
- Aakar Asha Hospital
- Location
- Kukatpally, India
- Founded
- 2013
- Patients transformed
- More than 13,500
- Original care model
- Six free patients for every four patients paying reduced rates
- Estimated need
- About 13% of the surveyed population had a correctable physical deformity; 8% needed early surgery