Medical Clinics: Sunderbans
Healthcare - Sunderbans
Why
- The Sunderbans (a group of 102 islands spread over West Bengal and Bangladesh) is one of the most impoverished, neglected and remote regions.
- The area is prone to cyclones and has no basic facilities such as drinking water, electricity and medical care.
- The nearest 16-bed Government Primary Health Centre is in Gosaba, 2 hours away by boat.
- For specialized treatment, patients need to travel to Kolkata, which they can ill afford, both economically and in terms of distance.
- This distance proves fatal for patients, particularly snakebite and stroke victims.
Mobile Medical Clinics
- Over the past year, we have run mobile medical clinics at Bijaynagar, Bali Island (weekly), Hetalbari, Mollakhali Island (bi-monthly) and Ram Gopalpur, near Godkhali (bi-monthly).
- As of September 2014, we have been running one clinic (Ram Gopalpur, near Godkhali) due to the opening of our OPD (Out Patients' Department) on Bali Island.
- Approximately 250 patients of all ages, with various medical conditions, attend the clinics.
- Specialised medical care is provided, e.g. the eye clinic offers treatment, medicines and glasses.
- Individual medical cases are attended to and treatment and surgery is provided.
- Our vision is to expand the programme to include the most remote islands of the Sunderbans in the near future.
