“For me, saving the girl child is not just a social movement; it is my life’s mission, my passion, and my responsibility towards humanity”. These are the words of Dr Ganesh Rakh, a gynaecologist from Pune, who calls saving girls “his mission” who was moved and hurt by the gender discrimination so much that he decided to turn the birth of every girl into a celebration. Today, his initiative has resulted in more than 2,500 free deliveries, with newborn girls welcomed with flowers, cakes and sweets, according to his own Instagram account.Meet the doctor who runs Mulgi Vachva Abhiyan (Save the Girl Child Campaign)His initiative, called Mulgi Vachva Abhiyan (Save the Girl Child Campaign), is built around a simple idea, ‘never treat a daughter’s birth as a financial or social burden’. He doesn’t charge a single penny at his Medicare Hospital in Pune, to pay delivery charges when a baby girl is born. Instead, the hospital staff arrange a small celebration, complete with cakes, flowers and sweets. It’s probably one of the kindest and humane things to do.In an interview with BBC given in 2011, he said,“Many told me that they had taken treatment to ensure the birth of a male child. I was surprised, as I wasn’t aware of any such treatment. But they spoke about consulting a holy man, or would talk of putting some medicine into the mother’s nostril to ensure she delivered a boy.”The moment that made him take a stand“I may not be able to change the entire world alone, but if my efforts can change even one family’s attitude towards a girl child, I believe my mission is worthwhile”, writes Rakh in one of his Instagram posts.Dr Rakh’s decision to make girl delivery free was not inspired by any publicity campaign. It came from what he witnessed during his everyday work as a doctor at his hospital.He noticed a stark difference in how families reacted to the birth of a child. When a boy was born, relatives would arrive with sweets and smiles. But when a girl was born, the atmosphere could suddenly turn all dark and grim or change dramatically.Sometimes, relatives would even avoid visiting the newborn. Mothers would be left distressed, while some families would even ask the hospital for discounts on delivery charges. This left a deep impact on him. The treatment was unfair.In an interview with Vanishing Girls, an initiative of ADF India, Rakh recalled how difficult it was to announce the birth of a girl to a family. He called it as being almost as difficult as informing relatives that someone had died. The mother’s tears and the family’s disappointment left a lasting impression on him.And it is then when he realised that gender discrimination was not just an issue discussed in newspapers but something that was happening right in front of him.From a humble background to building a hospital
Dr Ganesh Rakh’s started ‘Mulgi Vachva Abhiyan’ (@dr_ganesh_rakh)
Interestingly, Rakh’s own journey has been shaped by financial struggles. His father, Adinath, worked as a labourer, carrying heavy sacks in Pune’s wholesale markets, while his mother, Sindhu, also worked hard to support the family.As a child, Rakh was more interested in wrestling than academics. However, his mother wanted him to take his education seriously. After his seventh-grade examinations, she made him work alongside his father for two months, carrying heavy sacks of grain. The experience gave him a firsthand understanding of how difficult life was.He then worked hard and focused on his studies. He earned scholarships and went on to complete a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree. He started with a small clinic in a tin shed in 2001 and gradually expanded his practice.In 2007, he established Medicare Hospital, a maternity and multispeciality facility in the Hadapsar area of Pune.A decision that came with financial challengesOn January 3, 2012, the birth anniversary of social reformer Savitribai Phule, Rakh launched the Mulgi Vachva Abhiyan at his hospital. The idea was to waive maternity delivery charges for every mother who gave birth to a girl, irrespective of the family’s financial background.But his decision initially was met with skepticism from his family members and those who had helped him establish the hospital. According to an IANS report, in January 2017, Rakh had borrowed around Rs 1 crore from family, friends and relatives to set up the hospital. Waiving delivery charges seemed like an impractical decision to many.He also revealed that the hospital incurred a loss of approximately Rs 10,000 on a regular delivery and more than Rs 25,000 in complicated cases requiring surgery.More than 2,500 girls welcomed without delivery charges“In 2012, I started the Beti Bachao Janandolan at my Medicare Hospital in Pune with a simple but powerful thought: If a girl is born, we should celebrate her birth, not mourn it.Since then, we have been waiving delivery charges for families welcoming a baby girl at our hospital and celebrating every girl’s arrival with sweets, flowers, cakes, and immense happiness. Through this initiative, we want to send a message to society that a daughter’s birth is a moment of pride and celebration.”The impact of the initiative has grown over the years. According to ThePrint’s September 5, 2025 report, Rakh and his team had celebrated more than 2,500 free deliveries in the preceding 14 years.Rakh’s efforts have also received recognition from prominent personalities. In 2016, actor Amitabh Bachchan praised his work on a prominent television programme. Industrialist Anand Mahindra too acknowledged his initiative. Over the years, Rakh has travelled to different parts of India and abroad to spread awareness about gender equality and encourage other doctors to join the movement.For Rakh, however, the solution begins with changing attitudes within families. He believes that celebrating a daughter’s arrival can send a powerful message to relatives and the wider community.His initiative does not claim to solve every aspect of gender discrimination, but it challenges one of its earliest expressions: the disappointment that can greet a girl at birth.And perhaps that is what makes his effort particularly meaningful. In a world where parents should never have to justify the birth of a daughter, a cake, a few flowers and a waived hospital bill are more than gestures of kindness.Like Rakh says, “Every girl child is a blessing and deserves the right to be born, the opportunity to receive an education, the freedom to dream, and the dignity to live her life with equality and respect”.