Privacy & Policy

Overview

Fr. Joy Koothur and Shanthibhavan Palliative Care Hospital ("we", "us", or "our") operate a WhatsApp broadcast service to share updates about our mission, hospital activities, community events, and humanitarian work.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal information when you subscribe to our WhatsApp broadcast. By joining our broadcast list, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

Information We Collect

When you join our WhatsApp broadcast, we may collect the following information:

We do not collect sensitive personal data such as financial information, health records, or government identification numbers through our WhatsApp broadcast.

How We Use Your Data

Your information is used exclusively to provide and improve our WhatsApp broadcast service. Specifically, we use it to:

• Send broadcast messages — updates about Fr. Joy Koothur's activities, Shanthibhavan Hospital news, community events, and humanitarian initiatives.
• Respond to your enquiries — address questions or messages you send us via WhatsApp.
• Share devotional and spiritual content — prayers, reflections, and motivational messages relevant to our mission.
• Announce fundraising and support campaigns — information on how you can contribute to the hospital and community welfare programs.
• Maintain our subscriber list — to manage opt-ins and opt-outs accurately.

We will not use your data for any purpose other than those listed above without your explicit consent.

Opt-In & Consent

Participation in our WhatsApp broadcast is entirely voluntary. You may join the broadcast list by:

• Sending a WhatsApp message with the word "JOIN" or "Subscribe" to our WhatsApp number.
• Submitting your contact details through an opt-in form on our website or at a physical event.
• Requesting to be added through a team member or volunteer of Shanthibhavan.

Opt-Out / Unsubscribe

You can stop receiving our WhatsApp broadcasts at any time. To unsubscribe:

1. Reply "STOP", "UNSUBSCRIBE", or "REMOVE" to any message you receive from us.
2. Send a WhatsApp message directly to our number requesting removal from the list.
3. Contact us via email at frjoyktr@gmail.com with the subject "Unsubscribe".

We will process your opt-out request within 48 hours. After removal, you will no longer receive broadcast messages from us. Your data will be deleted from our active subscriber list.

Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to any third parties.

Your data may only be shared in the following limited circumstances:

• Legal obligation — if we are required to disclose your data by law, court order, or government authority.
• Safety — to protect the safety, rights, or property of our organisation, staff, or the public.
• Service providers — trusted individuals or tools (such as a broadcast management volunteer) who assist in sending messages and are bound by confidentiality obligations.

In all other cases, your information remains strictly within our organisation.

Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as you are an active subscriber to our WhatsApp broadcast.

• If you unsubscribe, your contact details will be removed from our active broadcast list within 48 hours.
• Basic records may be retained for up to 30 days post opt-out solely for audit and compliance purposes, after which they are securely deleted.
• Any messages exchanged via WhatsApp are subject to WhatsApp's own data retention and deletion policies.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Erasure — request deletion of your personal data from our records.
• Right to Withdraw Consent — opt out of the broadcast at any time without penalty.
• Right to Object — object to the processing of your personal data for direct messaging purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact Us section below.

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. These include:

• Limiting access to subscriber data to authorised team members only.
• Storing contact lists in secured, access-controlled environments.
• Using WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption for all message communications.

However, please be aware that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Third-Party Services

Our WhatsApp broadcast operates through WhatsApp, a service provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. By using WhatsApp to communicate with us, you are also subject to WhatsApp's own Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

We encourage you to review WhatsApp's privacy practices independently. We are not responsible for the data practices of WhatsApp or Meta beyond our own use of the platform.

Children's Privacy

Our WhatsApp broadcast is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you believe a child under 13 has subscribed without parental consent, please contact us immediately so we can remove their information from our list.

Policy Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• Send a notification via our WhatsApp broadcast informing subscribers of the change.

Continued subscription to our broadcast after any such update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please reach out to us: