By TwoCircles.net staff Reporter,
Bangalore: After a successful run in Hyderabad, the 6th India Health Initiative of the Indian Muslims Relief and Charities ( IMRC ) made a mark in Karnataka, treating over 7,000 underprivileged patients.
Every year, doctors from the USA volunteer for health camps organised by IMRC and its India wing Sahayata Trust to provide medical care to poor patients, who otherwise would not be able to afford the high cost of treatment.
This year, the team comprised six doctors from the US – Dr Farida Ghogawala (gynaecologist), Dr Irfan Moin (geriatric), Dr Jerome Stefenko (general surgeon), Dr John Rosenberg (ER Physician), Dr Mustafa Abo Alkheri (surgeon) and Dr Yamin Ali Javed (paediatrician).
With the assistance of doctors and nurses from the Indo-US Hospital, this team had rendered their services at three medical camps in Hyderabad’s poorest localities of Shaeenagar, Vattepally and Hassannagar from January 27-29, treating over 3,000 patients.
After Hyderabad, the 6th IHI moved to Karnataka, where from February 2-5, the team screened close to 4,995 patients at Bijapur at Al Ameen Hospital and later from February 9-12 treated 2,500 patients at Bangarapet town at Shyam Hospital.
Syed Abdul Najeeb from Sahayata Trust, who is overseeing the organisation of these Health camps, said the basic aim to run this kind of health camps is to provide medical aid at the door steps and to create medical awareness among the poor population.
“Many of those who get register for our free medical programme do not have means to approach senior specialised doctors, which is why you can find long queues at all our medical camps,” Najeeb said.
He lamented, “Due to lack of access to medical care poor population of this country is at the receiving end of getting diagnosed at the final stages of diseases.” With IHI, Najeeb said, “Health camps are also making sure those poor patients apart from getting the medical treatment, also open up to the preventive care of treatment.”
Since 2009, IMRC annually organises medical camps for underprivileged sections of the Indian society. Named as Indian Health Initiative (IHI), the medical camps are organised in semi-slums of different states to target the most deserving patients.
The 1st IHI medical camps were conducted in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, including Kurnool district; where massive floods devastated most of the town and expose general public, especially slum dwellers to epidemics. In that circumstances, 40 medical doctors, 50 paramedics and over 100 volunteers provided their services, a total of 7,000 patients were treated with free medication.
And the sprint continued with 2nd IHI targeting over 4,000 patients. Subsequently in 3rd IHI in 2012, 25 doctors from the US participated in nine camps organised in Hyderabad, Medak district, Delhi and Lucknow screening over 10,000 patients.
The 4th IHI apart from providing service in Jahangirabad (UP), also shifted its focus for a greater cause, helping the Assam Kokrajhar riot victims, where in the absence of state support, over 5,000 riots affected patients were provided with free medical care. In 2014, the 5th IHI went to the interior parts of the country and provided service and free medical aid for villagers in Mewat, Haryana and Alwar, Rajasthan, wherein a total of 7,000 patients were treated in 10 different camps.
The 6th IHI concluded on promising note where volunteering doctors from the US, apart from treating poor patients, also had several interaction sessions with young medical students at Al Ameen Medical College and Hospital, the venue of the camp. Volunteering doctors shared their experience with young medical students and gave insightful address on ‘Adventures in Medical Services: Developing Best Practices for Under-served Population’.
IMRC executive director Manzoor Ghori, who was also present to monitor the concluding camps in Karnataka, gave inspirational speeches to young medical students about social responsibility towards our society and its underprivileged.
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