By TCN News
Manipur: The ninth annual India Health Initiative (IHI), 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 the northeast state of Manipur on February 11th, 2018.
As a part of the 9th IHI, free health camps were organised for 12 days in three Indian States: Telangana, Assam, and Manipur from January 27 to February 11, where 9,612 poor and needy patients were treated by US-based IMRC doctors.
In Telangana, 2,793 patients were treated in four-day health camp from January 27 to January 30, in Assam 3,226 patients were treated from February 2 to February 6, whereas in Manipur 3593 patients were treated from February 9 to February 11, 2018.
In all the medical camps, patients were provided with free medicines after free check-up of vital health signs and cases which needed follow-up were compiled into a list and referred to the local doctors whose expenses will be paid by the IMRC.
The ninth annual initiative saw 15 doctors from the USA namely Dr. Jawad Ahmed (General Physician), Dr. Irfan Moin (Geriatrics), Dr. Jerome Stefenko (General Surgeon), Dr. John Rosenberg (ER Physician), Dr. Farida Ghogawala (Gynaecologist), Dr. Mohammad Gafoor (Family practice), Dr. Sabiha Gafoor (Pediatrician), Dr. Moustafa Abouelkheir (Surgeon), Dr. Jowairia Qadri (Gynaecologist), Dr. MK Ahmed (Paediatrician), Dr MY Ahmed (Surgeon), Dr Sana Ahmed (Paediatrician), Dr. Mir Mumtaz Ali (Internal and Pulmonary medicine),Dr Mohammad Haq (Internal Medicine), Dr. Reshma Mohiuddin (General Physician), Dr Noureen M Haroon (Ophthalmologist) and Shaheda B Ahmed (Pathologist), who have been working with IMRC to provide their services at four camps in Hyderabad, then in Assam and Manipur.
“We were lucky to have the opportunity to go with the India health initiative organised by IMRC. It was really a great experience seeing more than 500 + patient every day. We saw lots of pathologies, patients with diabetes, hypertension, gastro and joints related problems and we are looking forward to being part of this noble initiative every year,” said Mohammad Yousuf Ahmed, a surgeon from the USA.
“This is my third time coming with IMRC India health initiative camps. It was a unique experience for us. We were able to reach out to a population which usually have very less access to health care facilities. Like every year, the experience this year has been accomplishing,” said Mohammad Kamal Ahmed, a pediatrician from the USA.
The India Health Initiative was started by IMRC in 2010 and is organised by Hyderabad based Sahayata Trust.Since its inception, IMRC has successfully conducted nine ‘India Health Initiatives’ comprising of medical camps across different rural areas, poor localities and slums in India.
Every year, IMRC assembles a team of doctors from the United States of America to volunteer for the health camps. The medical camps are organised for three weeks in semi-slums and rural areas of different states to target poor patients.