By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Kerala:The 7th annual India Health Initiative-2016, a program created by US-based NGO India Muslim Relief and Charities (IMRC) to provide medical services to poorest of poor in India, concluded with its last free health camp organised in Engapuza village of Kozhikode district, Kerala on March 6, 2016.
As a part of 7th IHI, free health camps were organised for 12 days in three Indian States: Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala from February 19th to March 6th, 2016 where 5,775 poor patients were treated by Volunteer US based IMRC doctors.
In Barabanki (UP), free health camps were organised from February 20th to 23rd where 1530 patients were treated after free investigation of vital health signs, besides free pathological tests and X-ray.
“Three months ago, I slipped while walking on the road. Being poor, I went to local government hospital where doctors treated me for fractured arm but I used to feel the excruciating pain everyday till I came in this camp. Here doctors confirmed after the X ray that I don’t have any fracture and there was some limitation with my arm muscles,” said Noorjahan, 70 from Village Ajganai, Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh.
In Hyderabad (Telangana), free health camps were organised in slum areas of Hassan Nagar, Kishan Bagh, Shaheen Nagar and Baba Nagar from February 26 to February 29, which saw 2,277 poor patients treated for free.
Farhat Sultana, 55, a widow came for a regular check up in IMRC’s free health camp in Hasan Nagar, Hyderabad, where after necessary investigations, she was diagnosed with diabetes.
She said, “I came here because I had back and joint pains but doctors here screened me and conducted the necessary tests and told that I was having diabetes. I didn’t know that I was having this disease, because due to monetary constraints I couldn’t visit a doctor.”
In Kerala, free health camps were organised in Mukkam, Omassary, Chennamangloru and Engapuza villages of Kozhikode District from March 3rd to March 6th where 1968 patents were treated after free investigation of vital health signs.
“My four-year-old son Akshay was coughing since last two months. I am working as a salesman in a local shop and couldn’t afford to take my son to a good hospital in Kozhikode city. When I came to know about the free health camp, I brought my son here and doctors here diagnosed him with bronchitis and gave him free medicines,” said Ramesh, 40, who lives in Ahayankunn, Mukkam, Kozhikode, in Kerala.
In all the medical camps, patients were provided with free medicines and the cases which needed follow-up were compiled into a list and referred to the local doctors whose expenses will be paid by IMRC.
“This initiative has shown that many illnesses afflicting the poor are preventable, and that these medical conditions are worsened mostly because of poverty, ignorance, and lack of hygiene,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed.
“Most of the patients whom we examined today were anaemic, and had iron and vitamin deficiency. We also got patients with chronic lung diseases, hypertension and diabetes. Since they are unable to pay for treatment, there condition keeps deteriorating with time. They look at these free health camps as an opportunity to get examined,” said Dr. Irfan Moin, a geriatrician, who has been volunteering for IMRC’s IHI health camps since last six years.
The India Health Initiative was started by IMRC in 2010.Since its inception, IMRC has successfully conducted six India Health Initiatives comprising of medical camps across different rural areas, poor localities and slums in India.
Every year, IMRC assemble team of doctors from the United States of America to volunteer for the health camps. The medical camps are organized for three weeks in semi slums and rural areas of different states to target poor patients. This year 10 US based NRI doctors with different specialties offered their expertise to the patients.