The unit is being run under medical supervision of Dr Shoeb Ali Khan, leading consultant nephrologist and a kidney transplant surgeon.
A patient undergoes dialysis at the unit
Hyderabad :
Probably for the first time in the world, a mosque in Hyderabad has allotted space on its premises for establishing a full-fledged haemodialysis unit. Masjid-e-Mohammadia, located in Langar Houz area now houses a state-of-the-art free dialysis centre that mainly caters to the weaker sections of the society, regardless of caste and creed.
The centre, set up by two NGOs – Helping Hand Foundation and SEED US, has five latest Fresenius brand machines and will acquire five more machines in the next three months. The swanky centre, designed like a corporate hospital, has a separate access for dialysis patients and it is equipped with high quality equipment, clinical care as well as facility to manage onsite emergencies.
The unit is being run under medical supervision of Dr Shoeb Ali Khan, leading consultant nephrologist and a kidney transplant surgeon.A medical doctor, ANMs, dialysis technicians and an ambulance will be available at the centre from 8 am to 8 pm on any given day. “We have invested about Rs 45 lakh for the initial setup of this unit. About Rs 2 lakh per month will be managed by Helping Hand Foundation,” said Mazhar Hussaini of SEED.
To register for free dialysis, one can call Ph: 9603540864.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / July 22nd, 2022
He said he has rostered himself for this work on Saturdays and Sundays.
The deaths due to COVID are rising but that has not scared the powerlifter.
Azmat has transported more than 15 bodies and performed the last rites.
There is so much confusion and fear around the COVID-19 pandemic and it has reached a point where even family members are afraid and reluctant to accept the bodies of those dying of the infection and give them a proper burial.
In the past few months, we have heard any number of stories where bodies of COVID-19 victims were disrespected by families and civic authorities due to the stigma around it.
BCCL
But, in Bengaluru, a man doing his bit by ensuring that COVID-19 victimsare given a proper burial.
42-year-old Mohammed Azmat doesn’t look like an average man for five feet and eight inches – he looks like a mountain of a man!
That is because he is a champion powerlifter, who set a record with a deadlift of 295 kg in an international powerlifting championship two years ago
PTI
But these days, the programme manager in DXC Technology, an IT firm is spending much of his time carrying bodies of COVID-19 victims and giving them proper last rites.
He said he has rostered himself for this work on Saturdays and Sundays.
PTI
“I was part of the drive for relief work during the lockdown and when I saw people dying in huge numbers in July, I decided to associate myself with the Mercy Mission,” Azmat told PTI.
The challenge those at Mercy Mission face is that the last rites is a time-consuming process, right from the procedures involved at the hospital and at burial grounds.
Besides, volunteers also have to confront protests, which further delays the procedure.
PTI
The deaths due to COVID are rising but that has not scared the powerlifter.
“Death is certain, so there is no need to be bothered much about it. But I do take the utmost precautions, which is multi-layered because I too have a family,” Azmat said.
Speaking about his experience, the champion powerlifter said “The pain I experience while carrying the body of someone who has died due to coronavirus can’t be explained.”
PTI
Since he joined two co-workers to carry the senior man to the Christian burial ground, Azmat has transported more than 15 bodies and performed the last rites.
source: http://www.indiatimes.com / India Times / Home> News> India / by Bobins Abraham / July 29th, 2020
Farheen Naaz (39), an experienced education professional, calls herself a “menstrual educator by passion.” | Picture by arrangement
The objective of Farheen Naaz’s organisation is to break the taboo that has been built around menstrual hygiene since ages and normalise period talk, which is frequently hushed by elders in most Indian households.
New Delhi :
During the first and second wave of Covid-19, Farheen Naaz was busy distributing relief kits to marginalized communities in New Delhi. The kits however, had only one sanitary napkin packet. One of the women told her there was more than one menstruator in her house. That interaction left her thinking how the menstruation needs were left unaddressed during the pandemic and in ordinary times.
Farheen (39), an experienced education professional, calls herself a “menstrual educator by passion.”
In September 2019, she started We The Change, a women-led Delhi-based not for profit, working towards creating awareness and inculcating correct knowledge about menstrual hygiene amongst the community, including members who do not menstruate. The organisation started with online sessions and talks, soon growing to conducting on-ground drives.
We The Change distributed more than 950 menstrual hygiene kits (containing 50 sanitary pads, 50 disposal bags, two cloth panties and a bar of soap) across India during the pandemic. They plan to double their target and reach out to 2000 menstruators pan India.
“The objective of our organisation is to break the taboo that has been built around it since ages and normalise period talk, which is frequently hushed by elders in most Indian households,” says Farheen. “While this might be a topic that might have been directed towards only adolescent menstruators over time, our organisation has decided to include families of the menstruators as well to create a comfortable and safe space for these conversations.”
Farheen says she realised the problems are far deeper than just not getting access to menstrual products. “Mothers and grandmothers are the main sources of information for many menstruators, and hence they do not get access to the kind of resources and information that they should get,” she says. “Shame makes many menstruators susceptible to harm because they learn taboos and misinformation.”
We The Change initiative has collaborated with Menstrupedia, an educational comic book on menstruation that is used in schools across the country for workshop and training purposes. | Photo by arrangement
Having worked in sectors focusing on institutional education, menstrual education, skill development and social work, she hopes she can bring a significant change in the society and smooth over the differences that exist between different genders, castes and socio-marginalised classes.
“We partner with and train local teachers so that students can come to them with their issues and get information from menstrual health-trained teachers,” she explains.
We The Change initiative has collaborated with Menstrupedia, an educational comic book on menstruation that is used in schools across the country for workshop and training purposes.The plan is to buy and donate these books to menstruators pan-India, and use this material to train adolescents in menstrual health and menstrual waste management.
Sustainability in menstrual health and hygiene is often talked about. But a majority of women are unable to use sustainable menstrual products due to lack of resources such as clean water and the cost of these products.
Farheen has come up with a menstrual waste-management project called the #ProjectRedWaste, which is specifically aimed at providing recycled paper bags with a red dot on them to menstruators to safely dispose of menstrual waste, such that sanitation workers also identify these and separately handle them.
Farheen says this work has helped her realise how fixing menstrual issues is central to breaking several societal barriers. A large part of her programme therefore involves education about menstruation, women empowerment, battling transphobia, and inculcating leadership amongst young menstruators.
Suchitra is an independent journalist working on social justice, focusing primarily on gender justice. She tweets at @Suchitrawrites
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Suchitra, TwoCircles.net / February 07th, 2022
A book titled ‘A world Divided: Human Rights in an Unequal World’ written on the 25-year struggle of famous social activist Shamim Ahmed was launched on September 25 at a grand ceremony held at the Five Star Ruff Hotel The Park in the West Bengal Capital.
Former minister and congress leader Mani Shankar Iyer paid tributes to Shamim as he said there are very few people in the country who do great service for the restoration of human rights and to put a smile on the face of the people of the country.
He congratulated the author of the book and said that the author has researched the life of Shamim Ahmed and brought a book before us.
The book sheds light on the life of Shamim Ahmed and his work in promotion of Urdu language.
Shankar said that he had the opportunity to read a book, adding that he was very much impressed with his “Food for All” campaign.
“Rights and opportunities have not been found. Even today, people on the streets are longing for food.” Mani Shankar Aiyar said that India is a multi-religious country. “The destiny of this country lies in national unity.”
pix: goodreads.com
Former Member of Parliament and renowned intellectual Mohammad Adib, while acknowledging the services of Shamim Ahmed, said that coming from Bihar to Bengal and launching a movement to make Urdu the second official language is nothing short of a feat.
He said, “it is unfortunate that after India’s independence Later, Urdu was treated leniently. There was injustice with Urdu in Bengal as well. Shamim Ahmed raised his voice against this injustice.
Expressing his views on the occasion, Adib said that the 25-year journey of Shamim was full of difficulties, trials and tribulations.
On the occasion, renowned international artist and Bengali intellectual Shubha Parsna said that Shamim Ahmed is the pride of Bengal. “We are happy that there are people in Bengal who speak of humanity and deal with people on humanitarian grounds. That I have known Shamim Ahmed for the last many years. He had compassion for humanity in his heart.
Prasana urged books should be written on such personalities so that the new generation is aware of him. The event was attended by important personalities from different sections of the society.
source: http://www.millattimes.com / Millat Times / Home> National / by Millat Times Staff / October 05th, 2021
Thirty-two-year old Zeeshan Majeed from Kolkata, West Bengal has not only distributed food during the Covid-19 lockdown but also distributed masks, medicine and oxygen cylinders at times of crisis. For his noble work, he was featured as a Covid Warrior in IPL 2020. He is included among the Covid Warriors in the Limca Book of Records – 2020-22 as well.
Kolkata :
He has been feeding hungry people since he saw a child at a government hospital picking up food from a drain and eating it. Thirty-two-year old Zeeshan Majeed, a footwear manufacturer in Kolkata, started feeding 40 people with meals cooked by his mother once a week, but today more than 1500 people receive food daily from his Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation.
Zeeshan became a social activist after witnessing an accident on the street. It all began when he was on his way to work. He saw a young boy who had met with an accident and lay unconscious on the street near Sealdah railway station on April 15, 2018.
Something strange caught his attention, so he stopped to help. In the chaos, he spotted rag-pickers attempting to grab his mobile and laptop bag, which were lying scattered along with the motorcycle. He was a bit scared to help, but he recovered his courage and rushed the unconscious boy to the nearby Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital.
At the hospital, he was shocked to notice the child. He later learned that many rural residents from deprived backgrounds in West Bengal travel to the capital city of Kolkata for treatment at the government hospitals. They arrive with their families and relatives. Some of these people can’t even afford to buy food, medication or accommodation. Most of them live on the streets for days and months.
Zeeshan went home with a heavy heart and recounted the story to his mother. He insisted on offering meals for the needy while he knew that her mother couldn’t possibly cook for this many people. “I asked if she could prepare meals for at least 40 people and I would take care of the rest. Her answer was yes. We decided that every Sunday my mother would prepare food and I would deliver it to people temporarily living on hospital premises or pavements,” Majeed told TwoCircles.net.
Starting a charity On May 20, 2018, he established the Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation, a charitable organisation. It started as a weekly event called ‘Dawat E Aam’ at NRS Hospital. Every week, the menu had a variety of dishes, such as simple hotchpotch, rice with vegetables, vegetable pulao, or rice with soya chunks curry. The menu consisted only of vegetarian meals since the recipients belong to diverse communities, which were served during the lunch hour.
This vehicle carries Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation’s relief materials.
This weekly event has become a part of a daily routine since April 28, 2019, when he started receiving phone calls from different places. Helped by funds from friends, family and through social media, he launched the dinner service. He does not accept cash donations directly from his donors rather engages restaurant kitchens to prepare meals for donors, which he collects and distributes. It gets difficult for him to prepare lunch and dinner on his own, despite having a kitchen.
Covid warrior Among the people he has fed are women, children and the elderly. Whether they are beggars, slum dwellers, destitute or prostitutes, all have benefited from his food distribution services. The underprivileged received food standing in a row during the Covid-19 lockdown while the middle-class people felt shy and refused to queue. They suffered the most during the lockdown.
Zeeshan wanted to help them, so he created a ‘Secret Santa’ project for them with a helpline. On his social media platforms, he advertised that those in need of the ration kit could send him a text. Their ration kits would be delivered to their homes without revealing their identities.
Zeeshan Majeed serving food to hungry people.
During the first lockdown, more than 1000 ration kits were distributed in Sonagachi, Kolkata’s sex-workers area. Ten kilograms of rice and five kilograms of pulses were included in the kits. Furthermore, the Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation distributed over 1200 kits each day under the Secret Santa project. Over 5000 people were helped.
This Samaritan from Kolkata has not only distributed food but also masks, medicine and oxygen cylinders at times of crisis. For his noble work, he was featured as a Covid Warrior in IPL 2020. He is included among the Covid Warriors in the Limca Book of Records – 2020-22 as well.
Former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Gangulay presenting a gift hamper to Zeeshan Majeed.
“I always had two police guards with me during the Janata curfew or lockdown periods,” he said, acknowledging the maximum support he received from the Kolkata Police. “Their presence allowed me to distribute food properly while maintaining social distance with chalk marking, increasing sanitization awareness. Sometimes on the footpaths, beggars or physically challenged people would form a queue while some forlorn person would hand out disposable plates,” recalls Zeeshan, the owner of Golden Plastic, a footwear manufacturing company in Topsia.
His charitable foundation provided relief materials during natural disasters, such as floods or cyclones. He distributed food during the Amphan cyclone in May 2020 at Chandipur, Gosaba, Patharpratima, Basanti in Sundarban, as well as Harapur, Nalmuri, Bantala, Bhojerhat, Ghatakpukur in South 24-Parganas and other locations. When cyclone Yaas hit in May 2021, the food kits were also distributed to people in Mandarmuni, Purshottomnagar in East Midnapore and other Sundarban islands.
Zeeshan was born and brought up in Kolkata. He is the only son of Tarique Majeed and Nazli Tarique, who have four children. He finished his tenth standard in 2005 at Saifee Golden Jubilee English Public School and completed his 12th standard in 2007 from the same school. He graduated with a degree in commerce from Maulana Azad College in 2012, as well as an MBA degree in marketing from Sikkim Manipal University in 2015.
Zeeshan told TwoCircles.net, “Two days in my life are valuable—the day I was born and the day I discovered why I was born. Despite trying many things in life, including a job and a business, I never achieved satisfaction. That changed when I started distributing food.”
A Ballygunge resident, Zeeshan got married in October 2019. He plans to expand his charitable mission to the global level with this tagline – ‘Aao Ek Nayi Soch Banayay Kisi Bhukay Ko Khana Khilayay’ (Let’s think differently and help feed the hungry).
“I wish to serve people of the world. There are many people around the world who rarely get a square meal. If I have an opportunity, I will ensure that no one sleeps hungry,” he added.
Partho Burman is an award-winning independent journalist based in Kolkata. He writes inspirational, motivational and environmental stories. He tweets at @ParthoBurman.
source: http://www.twocirlces.net / TwoCircles.net / Home>Lead Story / by Partho Burman, TwoCircles.net / December 30th, 2021
Dr Sharmeen Mushtaq Nizami is a J&K-based philanthropist and adventure trekker who helps cancer patients, widows and orphans. (Waseem Andrabi)
Dr Sharmeen Mushtaq Nizami, a J&K-based philanthropist and adventure trekker, feels that a girl can do big things in life when her parents support her; she has set up a charity trust that helps cancer patients, widows and orphans.
Whatever life throws at Dr Sharmeen Mushtaq Nizami, she takes it as a challenge, overcomes it and moves on. She believes one’s life should be an inspiration for others.
Dr Nizami, in her early 40s, works at a Srinagar hospital and runs a trust for cancer patients besides pursuing her hobby of being an extreme mountain trail motor-sport traveller. Since childhood, she has pursued her passion whether it was studying medicine in the 1990s when militancy was at its peak in Jammu and Kashmir or her love for jeeps.
Her biggest challenge in life came when her husband was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2007 within six years of their marriage, leaving her to bring up their two children, a three-year-old son and a year-old daughter.
“It was a traumatic phase. I struggled but my parents supported me. Initially, being a single parent appeared tough but gradually I came to terms with reality,” she says.
As time went by, she decided not to remarry and moved back to her ancestral home in Srinagar from her husband’s house in Jammu.
Dr Nizami, who is now the medical officer in-charge at a Srinagar hospital and on Covid duties, says that her experience during her husband’s illness pushed her towards helping patients and the needy.
“Though we were relatively well off, we had to go outside for treatment as he was suffering from pancreatic cancer. We realised that the treatment is expensive and drains most families’ savings,” she says.
Even before her husband’s death, she would collect money from attendants using charity boxes outside OPDs. Later, friends and colleagues asked her to setup a trust with a separate account where people could donate money. “We get a lot of donations during Ramazan, which are primarily used to help cancer patients and those needing a kidney transplant. The trust also helps widows and orphans who have no source of income,” she says.
Nizami, the eldest of four siblings, says that her parents Mushtaq Nizami, a military contractor, and Shahida Parveen, a homemaker, have been her strength. “Any girl can do big things in life when her parents support her,” she says.
Ask her what got her interested in jeeps, and she says, “I have imbibed my father’s passion for driving jeeps. In 2018, I came upon some videos of the Kashmir off-road club which organises competitive events and overland expeditions, and decided to participate in a snow-race event (Frozen Rush) at Gulmarg.”
Nizami, who always wears a hijab, was the only woman to participate in the adventure sport and created quite a buzz on social media. “I hadn’t realised that I was breaking stereotypes , until I saw people’s reactions,” says Nizami, who has since participated in dangerous events like mud race and river crossing.
“Some people tried to dissuade me saying it was risky, but I remained unafraid,” says Nizami, adding that she gets a lot of messages from young girls who admire her.
She says her faith in the Almighty has never wavered despite the many challenges in her life. “Not just driving, but life in general throws a lot of challenges at us. We have to accept the challenges and move forward,” she says.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Others / by Ashiq Hussain, Srinagar / September 16th, 2021
Children at Umeed Academy. | Picture by arrangement
Wali Rahmani’s work has earned him recognition and respect and people have come forward to sponsor the students in whatever way they can.
Kolkata :
Budding lawyer, human rights activist, orator, motivational speaker, social entrepreneur and a proud father to 140 children, 23-year-old Wali Rahmani hopes that one day all his children will be successful leaders and prove to be invaluable assets to the nation.
The 140 children who fondly call Wali Rahmani Abba Ji hail from different slums of Kolkata. Many of them are orphans and all of these children are from families caught in the vicious cycle of poverty.
Wali with his boys dressed for a skit on harmony. | Picture by arrangement
Wali Rahmani was just 18 when he first took 3 kids from a slum under his wing. These 3 kids, around 3-4 years old, were orphans. Wali, their Abba Ji, washed the soiled clothes of the kids, bathed, cooked and fed them–playing the role of a mother, a father, a nanny and a maid. His determination did not waver. Gradually, he found more and more people joining him which encouraged him to start and register ‘Umeed’, which served both as an orphanage and an educational academy.
The journey of Umeed When Wali Rahmani was just turning 18, many changes were taking place in the country which he said, “changed him as well.” The assembly elections of 2017 in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which brought Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister, became the turning point in Wali’s life and brought in its wake an energized goal and mission to work for the upliftment of the society.
Rahmani said he was “aghast that someone like Ajay Singh Bihist a.k.a Yogi Adityanath could become the CM.” He took to social media to talk about the injustices, violations of human rights and atrocities that were happening in the country. This was the beginning of Wali’s political journey. Soon, his fearless voice got him thousands of followers on Youtube, Facebook and other social media.
At one point, Wali paused to reflect that he is the only one talking against the oppression and gross injustices meted to people. Where are all the other youth leaders? Why are they not standing up against injustices? He spoke to his peers but they were keen only on pursuing their education, having fun and enjoying life. They did not want to take up these issues or even talk about them.
“I realized that my suggestions did not go down well with my peers. They did not want someone to tell them to ‘do this and do that.’ It became more of an ego thing,” Wali said, reminiscing the early days.
People who heard his talks on social media, his debates on the television channels looked up to him as the leader of the future. Wali, however, was not happy being a leader. He wanted more leaders in the community. According to him, a true leader is not someone who does not leave any legacy behind. He believes that a true leader creates more leaders and leaves behind a rich legacy. Instead of asking other youth to join him in the mission to raise their voice against the wrongs of society, he thought it is better to create new leaders. He believed that these will be small children who can be successfully molded to become strong leaders. He took a break from his studies for a year to work on this idea of creating future leaders.
“But where would I find these children whom I could train? Would any parent trust me enough to send the child to me? Then by chance, I came across a Hadith by our beloved Prophet (PBUH) wherein he mentioned the status of a Muslim who is kind to orphans. I felt that through this hadith, Allah was guiding me. So, I decided to take in children who had no parents,” Wali said.
“I had made up my mind that I want to be a father of 10 before I turn 20. And people laughed at me. They advised me to go study and asked me blunt questions related to my financial capability,” Wali said, “But I did not give up. It was the womenfolk who came forward to help me realize my dream”.
Wali said that he approached several people who had wealth and could easily help him but instead they scoffed at his idea.
“The very first person to help me was my mother. She believed in my dream. She was the first donor for Umeed,” Wali said while giving details of other donors who were also women.
He remembers the first donors fondly and with gratitude. One woman gave her gold finger ring because she was not earning and wanted to give what belonged to her. Wali likens this to the woman who donated her gold bangles to Sir Syed Ahmed when he was seeking donations for the Aligarh Muslim University.
Some girl students also promised monthly payments from their pocket money. And as they say, small drops of water make a mighty ocean, Wali Rahmani’s dream project began taking a concrete shape.
Today he runs the Umeed Academy in a rented apartment with 140 children. Some of these children are day scholars who are at the academy for at least 12 hours.
Many of these children are kids from slums whose parents are alcoholics, orphans who are homeless, kids who have parents but stay with their guardians to avoid the brutality that their parents either go through or make them go through, children with parents serving jail time. Some kids have homes not suitable to live in. The children of his academy are mostly from Muslim Ghettos.
Umeed Academy’s vision Wali envisions creating leaders who in turn will become capable to create more leaders. Year after year, Wali hopes, Umeed will produce leaders who will carry forward the legacy of Wali and his academy Umeed.
“Each child that graduates from Umeed shall be an institution builder and a leader. They will leave their imprints in the sands of time,” he said.
Inside Umeed Academy There are no wardens at the Umeed Academy, only house parents who take care of all the needs of the children. From the time of their enrolment to the time they pass out as students have completed their 12th standard ICSE curriculum syllabus, all their costs are borne by the academy including their residential cost, health cost, books, clothing and sports.
The focus is on the holistic development of girls and boys. For their spiritual growth, they are taught Quran and Islamic values.
The children are taught regular subjects of the school curriculum which is ICSE and apart from that, they are taught self-defence, drawing, sports, Quran, Hadith and ethics. They are encouraged to participate in many activities conducted in their academy.
Class room in Umeed. | Picture by arrangement
“The transformation in the children is visible. They are all so disciplined and neat that despite sharing common toilets and bathrooms, they keep it all clean,” Wali says proudly, adding, “Ask them to recite the Duas (prayers) of eating, sleeping, going out, going to the toilet, or when it rains, they will recite it.”
The house parents bring up these children as they would bring up their own, insists Wali. He also does his bit by interacting with the children every day, listening to them, talking to them and thus making strong the bond they share.
The core team members, who are his well-wishers not only guide him but also help him make the right decisions.
Asma Alam, director of Umeed, Ghazala Imam and Yusuf Haque who taught Wali at school are now part of the core committee. Others who have joined his mission are an army veteran Abhishek Mukherjee, educationists Shabana Anwar, Usha Banerjee and Mufti Anwar Khan Sargiroh.
Wali Rahmani, with his staff and children of his academy. | Picture by arrangement
Awards and recognitions Wali Rahmani has appeared in various national television debates and is perhaps the youngest Indian TV debate panellist.
He says that his work for society is not social work, but “his social duty.” He has been awarded the young social Hero award in 2019 at the South India NGO conference. He has also been featured as one of the young top 20 achievers in India under the age of 20 by Mumbai Coworking, and also received the Shan-e-Hindustan award by Youth Ekta Front, Delhi. His work has been acknowledged and featured by India Times, Brut India, and the Indian Express.
Many prestigious institutes and organisations have invited applications from Wali to apply for the awards but Wali Rahmani says “his work should speak for him,” and does not believe in applying for any award.
“The ultimate award will be when these children grow up and lead the nation and establish peace and harmony around them,” he said.
Future of Umeed Wali Rahmani’s work has earned him recognition and respect and people have come forward to sponsor the students in whatever way they can. One generous donor has donated 2 Acre (87120 square feet) of land to Umeed Academy worth Rs 2 Crore.
Wali has plans to construct fully functional hostels on the land for students with separate dormitories for boys and girls, a housing facility for the staff members and a campus which can accommodate approximately 600-700 students at once.
The construction work has started and the cost of the entire project has been approximated at Rs 13.5 crores. Wali intends to complete this work within the next two years and requests donations for his lofty mission through donations.
The ‘Second Life – Because Little Lives Matter’ initiative was launched in Bengaluru on November 15 by Dr. Nitish Shetty, Regional Director, Karnataka and Maharashtra Cluster; Farhan Yasin, Regional Director, Kerala and Oman Cluster; and Devanand K.T., Regional CEO, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Cluster
A 24X7 multi-lingual helpline has been set up to manage enquiries
To mark Children’s Day, Aster Hospitals in India launched the ‘Second Life – Because Little Lives Matter’ initiative.
The year-long initiative is aimed at supporting the medical treatment of disadvantaged children. The aim is to facilitate free paediatric surgery for at least 100 children below the age of 12 years.
Throught this initiative of Aster Volunteers Global CSR, the company wants to extend help to deserving children who are being treated across Aster Hospitals based in five States in India. This includes common childhood illnesses, such as appendicitis, intussusception, empyema and paediatric urology surgery, as well as complex clinical surgeries, including bone marrow transplant, liver transplant and heart surgery.
The initiative was launched in Bengaluru on November 15 by Dr. Nitish Shetty, Regional Director, Karnataka and Maharashtra Cluster; Farhan Yasin, Regional Director, Kerala and Oman Cluster; and Devanand K.T., Regional CEO, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Cluster.
The treatment will be funded either by Aster DM Foundation, philanthropists or NGOs.
The foundation has established the criteria to identify eligible cases for the program. Applications will be assessed on the socio-economic status, BPL category, medical outcome of the child prior to commencement of selection and subsequent treatment.
A 24X7 multi-lingual helpline (+91 9633620660) has been set up in Kozhikode in Kerala to manage enquiries.
The young doctor arranges transport for those living in remote areas, holds regular health camps, reports Pranab Mondal.pix
West Bengal :
As a junior doctor at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Dr Golam Ahmed Kibria became overwhelmed by the heart-wrenching ordeals of the underprivileged patients admitted here. “After joining the service, I saw how the poor had to suffer after a nationwide lockdown was announced last year to reach the state-run hospital in Burdwan. Many failed to turn up at the hospital because they couldn’t arrange for vehicles,” said Dr Kibria.
Witnessing these unfortunate circumstances reminded him of a line from the customary oath that medical students take: “I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity.” So Dr Kibria decided to start doorstep healthcare services for the marginalised. After his duty hours, he would organise free health camps in remote pockets of the district and even distribute free medicines.
“In a camp at Memari held on last October 4, I saw a three-and-a-half-year-old child suffering from frequent convulsions and his illiterate parents were helpless. I immediately made all arrangements to get the child admitted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital where it was detected that he was suffering from Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a rare congenital neurological and skin disorder.” The child was discharged after he recovered.
Dr Golam Ahmed Kibria (in white tee) with underprivileged patients.
In another camp, a woman in her early 60s turned up. “She was not in a position to move because of severe orthopaedic disease. Her family said they had gone door-to-door of rural hospitals but none could cure her. The orthopaedic surgeons at our hospitals identified the exact problem and gave her proper treatment,” he said.
Dr Kibria hails from Mohabbatpur village, Malda, which means a ‘hamlet/town of love’. His act of serving the poor reflects the meaning of his ancestral village’s name. He is the first male in his village to have cracked the medical entrance examination. “Treating patients with different ailments is not possible as a junior doctor. But I ensure their transport to the district hospital with the help of my colleagues, so that needy patients get speedy treatment and necessary pathological tests done,” said Dr Kibria, who organises two free health camps every month.
Realising he needs more man-power to serve the poor, Dr Kibria recently set up a welfare organisation called Prayas. It has 163 members and over 160 doctors. “We also provide rations and financial support to get daughters of poor families married off. Helping every poor person is beyond our capacity. But we try to reach the families who are in deep distress. We have already spent over `11 lakh for this purpose,” he said.
The 26-year-old doctor and his team even reached the areas ravaged by Cyclone Yash in West Bengal. “We held many camps in the affected areas and distributed free medicines. I do it all for the people of my country as my duty,” Dr Kibria signs off.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Pranab Mondal, Express News Service / November 07th, 2021
On the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, muslim community members under the patronage of Jumma Masjid Trust Board organized a blood donation camp at Hazrat Khudus Saheb Eidgah (Khadriya Masjid, Bengaluru), Crescent School in Basavangudi and Chirayu Hospital in Thanisandra on Tuesday.
Over 500 hundred units of blood were collected during the camp through Jeevaraksha Blood Bank, Mediscope Hospital and St Philomenas Hospital.
The camp was organized in association with Emergency Response Team (ERT) Bengaluru, Karol Foundation, Zubeida Sulaiman Charitable Trust and Sunni Jamiyat-Ul-Ulama All Karnataka among others.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – October 19th, 2021
