Be thankful for what you have, and you will end up having more. This is the mantra that physician-turned entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr Azad Moopen follows to make a difference in lives of thousands of people not only in the UAE but from around the world.
Known for his contributions to his profession and society, Dr Moopen, chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare, is a listed Indian billionaire who has allocated 20 per cent of his personal wealth for philanthropic activities helping social changes and uplifting the poor. Every member of his organisation is dedicated to this promise and strives to serve their community by committing their time and efforts to help patients and the society. All such efforts are executed under the umbrella of Aster DM Foundation.
Dr Moopen believes that healthcare is more of a service than a business. He reasoned that if the focus is on service, healthcare could make significant changes in people's lives, and commitment to service would provide organic growth where profit would come as a by-product.
Talking about his 30 years in the UAE, Dr Moopen said: "This is a significant year for us as we are celebrating 30 years since the time I started with my small clinic in 1987 in Bur Dubai. On December 11, 2017, we will celebrate our 30th anniversary and we have declared this full year as Aster@30."
Recognising volunteerism
To give back to the community, Aster DM Healthcare announced the launch of the 'Aster Volunteers' programme last month as part of the milestone 'Aster @30' campaign. In line with the declaration of 2017 as the Year of Giving, the programme reinforces the company's commitment to supporting the communities it serves and recognises volunteerism as a key pillar of giving.

"We have divided our philanthropic activities into three sections: First is celebrating people who have been with us in this journey for five, 10 or more years by honouring them. The second section is celebrating wellness and happiness. Instead of looking at illness, we look at wellness and happiness. We have 20,000 employees with us - half of them in the GCC and the other half in India. So here we are providing them and their families with free health checkups. Also, we are launching an immunisation app for people to keep a record of their vaccinations. And the third is the Aster Volunteers programme."
Aster Volunteers programmes
1. Volunteer to help the community: An individual, wishing to volunteer his time to help people in need can register on www.astervolunteers.com, irrespective of medical or non-medical expertise.
2. Free surgeries and investigations: A number of free treatments to be provided in the Middle East, India and Africa, including 5,000 surgeries and MRI scans through a widespread network under Aster, Medcare and Access brands. External medical experts can also volunteer their services.
3. Recruiting people of determination: Around 100 differently-abled people to be recruited by Aster across geographies.
4. Humanitarian Aid in Somalia in partnership with UAE's Salma Initiative: Essentials like food, nutrition supplements, medicines and clothes will be delivered by Aster's disaster and refugee management team through Salma Humanitarian Relief Programme.
5. Permanent medical camp being set-up in Al Zaatari, Al Azraq and Erbid Syrian refugee camps in Jordan.
6. Aster emergency mobile app to aid people in medical emergencies: Provides direct access to emergency numbers, first aid tips and access to volunteers who can come to help.
7. Basic Life Support (BLS) training programme: Up to 300,000 people would be provided with free training this year, targeting 200,000 individuals in India and 100,000 people across the GCC including school and college students.
Giving an example of how small acts of kindness can bring happiness, Dr Moopen said: "Many people have the intention of doing good but are unable to implement it. But remember, the smallest act of kindness is grander than the greatest intention. My youngest daughter was once driving during a hot summer afternoon and saw some workers sitting under a shade.
"She went to a nearby grocery store and got them some cold drinks and chocolates. This is just a small act of kindness but it made the workers very happy. Instead of someone having pity on them or planning to do something for them, that gesture of going to a shop and getting them some goodies is what I consider a noble act. So my point is that there are opportunities around you to help - that do not require giving money or skills - you just need to have the attitude to help right away."

source: Khaleejtimes