Hyderabad: Helping Hand Foundation sets up its fourth PHC in mosque

Rajendra Nagar: A survey conducted in five urban slums in Hassan Nagar has revealed that primary care facilities are lacking, particularly when common seasonal and vector-borne diseases are on the rise. To provide free health services in urban slums, city-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation set up a health care centre in a mosque.

A door-to-door survey was conducted in Hassan Nagar division in Rajendranagar mandal by HHF, where 550 households were contacted to assess the health status of people and whether the health services were adequate.

According to HHF, in a survey, 70 per cent of respondents said access to primary care in their basti needs to improve. They said doctors at the Basti Dawakhana should be available for a day, as by the time the out-patient closes many do not get a chance to avail services.

Around 65 per cent said they are forced to go to private clinics in the basti that open mainly after 3 pm and run till midnight. Although these clinics charge Rs 50 to Rs 100, most prescribe medicine and tests that cost Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per visit.

Due to tight financial position and loss of income, 55 per cent who have two or more siblings, said they can only afford medication for one child. They normally share the medicine among siblings if all of them fall sick. Observing the need to bridge the gap and to provide free and primary care health services, HHF has set up its fourth PHC in Masjid-e-Adam-Alaihissalam in Hassan Nagar. The centre was formally opened to the public on Tuesday by Mazharuddin Hussaini, Executive Director, SEED, USA.

This unique model of providing free and quality PHC from mosques by NGOs has benefited 1.15 lakh patients and resulted in an approximate saving of Rs 5.75 crore of out-of-pocket expenses.

"The health centre caters to a catchment of five bastis with over 10,000 households with 50,000 – 75,000 population. It has two doctors, three nurses, a dietician, three counsellors, an independent pharmacy, dental chair and NCD prevention and control desk. Special beds with IV stands and other equipment have been kept in place to treat children and others diagnosed with dengue, who need in-patient management," said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of HHF.

"We have developed a deep understanding on the PHC system in urban slums works and our new centre will be bridging the gap in service delivery that will benefit the underprivileged in more than one way," added Askari.

The centre will work between 9.30 am and 4 pm (Friday holiday) in view of the prayer congregation at the mosque.