SP Balasubhramanyam: The lesser-known story of SPB for hemophilic patients

Bengaluru: Legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam  died at a Chennai hospital on Friday afternoon. He was 74.

SP Balasubrahmanyam sang over 40,000 songs in 16 languages and won six National Awards. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. All know about his singing talent but there is something else which many of us don't know.

Not only did he raise money by performing in music concerts for the Karnataka Hemophilia Society but also spent quality time with the children suffering from it. He sang songs for them.

Dr Suresh Hanagavadi, President, Karnataka Hemophilia Society, Davangere said that SPB had visited Davangere six times. He first visited in 1999 on the occasion of World Hemophilia Day.

Suresh Hanagavadi said, "SPB was a great spirit, great strength behind all our welfare activities and today we reached a state where we can give treatment totally free of cost. Any hemophilia patient can walk in to this centre and resume treatment and resume rehabilitation free of cost and avail 3 meals free of cost."

He added that SPB had contributed to the construction of an exclusive hemophilia treatment centre in Davangere and that his death is a huge loss not only to the organisation but to society.