Raigad
Maharashtra
Backs That Built Forts and Fields: Restoring Strength in Raigad
Stretching along the Konkan coast and framed by the majestic Sahyadri hills, Raigad is a district steeped in history, labor, and resilience. Known for its forts, fishing villages, rice fields, and hilltop hamlets, Raigad is both scenic and hardworking. While the district includes rapidly developing towns like Alibag and Pen, its vast rural expanse is home to tribal and coastal communities that often remain disconnected from specialized healthcare.
In these remote belts, life revolves around farming, fishing, brick kiln labor, and construction work—professions that demand daily physical exertion. Over time, this unrelenting labor, paired with poor ergonomic practices and a lack of medical intervention, leads to severe spinal issues like degenerative disc disease, nerve compression, spinal deformities, and chronic back pain. These conditions are debilitating, yet silently endured by people with limited resources, awareness, or access to care.
Many in Raigad’s villages continue to suffer in silence. Hospitals with spine specialists are hours away, and for families living below the poverty line, the cost of travel, tests, and surgery in urban centers like Mumbai is simply unaffordable. As a result, spinal problems go unreported, undiagnosed, and untreated—often until they become life-altering.
Pain becomes a part of life. Productivity declines. Young adults become dependent. Elders lose mobility. And entire families are affected.
In 2024, The Spine Foundation (TSF) stepped in to change that narrative. In partnership with MGM Medical College & Hospital, Kalamboli, and supported by the District Health Department, TSF organized a dedicated Spine Camp for underserved populations in Raigad. Through this initiative, hundreds of patients were screened for spine-related conditions—many for the very first time.
Out of these, 30 patients underwent complex spine surgeries, fully free of cost. These included procedures for scoliosis, slipped discs, spinal infections, and traumatic injuries—cases that, left untreated, would have led to lifelong disability. With post-operative care, physiotherapy, and local follow-up in place, these patients were not just treated—they were truly healed.
What sets TSF apart is its commitment to building local healthcare capacity. During the Raigad camp, the Foundation also conducted hands-on training for local doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists—ensuring that spine care does not end when the camp does. Educational sessions in Marathi helped patients and families understand spinal hygiene, lifting techniques, and when to seek early treatment.
In communities where medical jargon often creates distance, compassionate communication in the local language bridged the gap—bringing clarity, comfort, and trust.
For many Raigad families, these surgeries were not just medical interventions—they were turning points. Patients who arrived unable to walk returned home with confidence, mobility, and dignity. Young adults resumed work. Grandparents stood tall again. Children regained their childhood.
Every spine healed in Raigad is a story of hope reclaimed, of lives lifted beyond pain, and of access delivered where it’s needed most.
Join Us in Making a Difference
At The Spine Foundation, every patient we treat represents a powerful victory—not just against illness, but against the deep-rooted challenges of neglect, poverty, and hopelessness. Each life we touch is a reminder that access to quality healthcare should never be a privilege, but a right. Our mission is to take advanced spinal care to the most remote and forgotten corners of the country—where it’s needed the most, yet rarely reaches.
If you believe in the power of equitable healthcare and want to be part of a transformative movement, we warmly invite you to: Partner with us. Donate generously. Share our story. Together, we can bring healing, hope, and dignity to those who need it most.
