India has one of the largest unmet needs for surgical care globally. Millions of patients lack access to safe, affordable healthcare treatment — not because the care doesn’t exist, but because it remains out of reach financially.

At the same time, the medical teams from G.S. Memorial Hospital and other hospitals in communities across the country have the expertise to deliver high-quality, life-changing surgical treatment.

The opportunity is clear: connect patients to care that already exists and remove the financial barriers.

With a globally distributed team and a worldwide community of generous donors, Watsi is able to build strong local medical partnerships while efficiently mobilizing funding across borders — directly supporting patients faster, transparently, and at scale.

The India Surgery Fund is a big step in that direction.

We partner with hospitals and medical teams that meet rigorous standards for clinical quality, transparency, and alignment with our mission. We prioritize trusted institutions with strong administrative and surgical capacity, patient-centered care such as reliable intake and referral systems, and a clear demonstrated commitment to healing patients with dignity, especially the most vulnerable regardless of their ability to pay.

G.S. Memorial Hospital was selected as our first medical partnership through a multi-step evaluation process, including clinical and operational reviews, as well as alignment on patient need, transparency, and reporting. Our team visited the hospital in person, building relationships and communication early, and learning directly from the team leading the care for patients.

100% of patients are interviewed and reviewed by the hospital’s clinical team based on medical need and financial barriers to care.

The India Surgery Fund focuses on reaching patients who require surgery, but would otherwise be unable to afford treatment. The hospital works directly with patients and their families to assess eligibility, ensuring support reaches those who need it most.

The India Surgery Fund supports a range of essential surgical procedures, including:

• Burn treatment

• Maxillofacial surgeries

• Trauma-related procedures

• Complex wound care

These procedures are transformational for a patient and their family. Access to this healthcare vastly improves quality of life and enables patients to return to school, work, daily activities, and community participation.

We always aim to share patient stories, photos, and updates. However, depending on the nature of treatment and patient circumstances and privacy, we may not always be able to share full details.

In those cases, we’ll provide an update on how funds are being used and the overall impact of the programs.

Yes. Watsi enables donors to fund individual patients directly.

The India Surgery Fund is an additional option for those who want to support a broader community of patients, grow Watsi’s reach in the country, and ultimately help more people access care, more quickly.

The most impactful ways to help are:

• Contributing to The India Surgery Fund

• Making larger, catalytic donations to expand capacity and growth in India

• Introducing companies interested in supporting access to healthcare in India

• Spreading the word with others who might be interested to help

If you’re considering a larger donation, you can reach out anytime to [email protected] to share your ideas and learn more about our work.

Pooled funding allows us to support more patients efficiently by removing the need to fundraise for each surgery individually.

It gives our medical partners more flexibility to treat patients as they are identified, while still maintaining transparency through updates and detailed reporting on how funds are used.