Karunya “Hope in Motion” – Rehabilitation, Wound Care & Hope for Persons with Spinal Cord Injuries

Karunya is one of the most compassionate and challenging missions undertaken by Mother Theresa Charitable Hospital (MTCH) in collaboration with Good Sam Foundation, Bengaluru—focused on the rehabilitation and wound care of Persons with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI). Launched in 2023, this initiative addresses a health crisis that is rarely taken up by hospitals or NGOs due to its long duration, high costs, intensive care giving needs, and limited financial returns, yet one that devastates entire families when left unattended.

Spinal cord injuries are most commonly caused by road traffic accidents, falls from height, agricultural accidents, and workplace injuries—all frequent in districts like Kalaburagi and neighboring regions of North Karnataka, where manual labor and unsafe travel conditions are common. India reports an estimated 20,000–25,000 new SCI cases every year, and in districts like Kalaburagi, many survivors are young breadwinners who suddenly face paralysis, loss of income, pressure sores, infections, and lifelong dependency. Lack of specialized rehabilitation facilities locally forces families either to abandon care midway or to live with preventable complications—especially chronic wounds and bed sores, which are painful, life-threatening, and deeply demoralizing.

Karunya responds where hope often ends. At Mother Theresa Hospital, SCI care focuses on advanced wound management, infection control, pressure sore treatment, physiotherapy, mobility support, nutrition, and caregiver training. Treatment is slow and demanding—requiring meticulous daily care, repeated dressings, rehabilitation exercises, and constant emotional support. Healing these wounds is not just medical work; it demands extraordinary patience, compassion, and commitment, values deeply rooted in MTCH’s mission: “Serving to Heal.”

Impact So Far:

• 73 persons with spinal cord injuries have received sustained treatment and rehabilitation support under Karunya.
• Over 30 patients required prolonged inpatient stay for severe wound and pressure sore care—and were successfully healed, avoiding life-threatening infections and repeat hospitalizations.
• Many patients who arrived with despair have today regained dignity, stability, and hope, seeing “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Karunya stands for mercy, endurance, and hope. Support this mission of mercy, compassion and hope.