Rendering free medicare to downtrodden sections

Shalibanda: Moved by the hardships faced by the poor to access healthcare given its high costs, a family has been running a day-care centre offering free medical services since 2016. The entire expenditure of infrastructure and supply of medicines etc is borne by the members of this magnanimous family. Sitara Medical Centre located at Shalibanda now serves more than 350 patients daily, besides providing dialysis service to more than 600 patients on an average per month.

Despite healthcare costs shooting up, doctors at this center provide free consultation, along with investigations. They charge nominal amounts for medicines. It all started after Abdus Samad Siddiqui, one of the trustees of Ahmed Abdullah Charitable Trust, which supports the centre, started running a clinic in the area. He began with free medicines to the poor. Buoyed by his generosity, his entire family joined hands in the noble cause.

Siddiqui family thus established the medical centre in 2016. They also extend monetary help to poor students. “We opened the medical center, offering free consultation, investigations and also provided free medicines. As some people started misusing and started medicines selling outside, we stopped providing free medicines. This trust runs with the support of my family. It has a total of 10 trustees.

The center was initially opened for helping residents of surrounding areas, but now by the grace of almighty, patients are visiting the centre from long distances,” said Siddiqui.Speaking to The Hans India, Siddiqui said that the centre is managed by general medicine doctors, specialists in ENT, pediatrics, orthopedics, cardiology, neurological, pulmonology, radiology, dental, ophthalmology, dermatology, nephrology and other disciplines, except gynecology.

The consultation of patients is free. They also get free services like like endoscopy, ultra sound, 2D echo, TNT, all types of X-rays, blood, urine tests etc. Some of the investigations which are not available are referred to the MESCO diagnostic center in Darusshifa. There are 11 dialysis units at the centre. Daily more than 30 patients undergo dialysis between 8 am and 11 pm.

The medication is also free for the needy people and a nominal amount is taken from the patients, Siddiqui added.For consultation, the patients must carry Aadhaar Cards for ‘free registration for lifetime’ and have to carry registration card during each visit. “The center starts at 8 am and closes at 8 pm for general patients and for dialysis it remains open till 11 pm.

There are 18 specialists and surgeons available at the center. For consultation, prior appointment must be taken. The centre also has 2 operation theaters for general and minor surgeries. Hernia, dentistry and optometrist surgery are also done at the center,” Siddiqui added.Syed Ghouse, a dialysis patient, said that he came across the centre when he was having a tough time unable to cope with high costs at private hospitals.Taskeen Fatima, another patient, said that the center is providing free consultation along with investigations. It charges nominally for medication and it is better than the government UPHC.