Sister Nirmala at missionary hospital

Nirmala asks for visiting doctors at hospitals

MALDA, ( India) Dec. 22. — The head of the Missionaries of Charity, Sister Nirmala, today urged the district health officials to provide visiting doctors to the Missionary-run hospitals in the state for the treatment of poor people, especially those suffering from tuberculosis, kala-ajar and malnutrition. Sister Nirmala today visited a Missionary centre at Noonbahi in English Bazaar and urged the district health and welfare officials to provide better services to the patients in Malda district. “We do not need to get medicine. We can provide sufficient medicine to the patients. But, we need a group of visiting doctors for our centres where elderly patients are being treated”, Sister Nirmala said. She also approached the health officials to take initiative to rehabilitate patients after treatment in the society and requested them to chalk out a plan in this regard. “Owing to acute poverty, they are not in a position to take proper rest and sufficient food after their release from hospitals. Since we provide them treatment, it is the responsibility of the state government as well as private organisations to ensure that they do not die due to poverty after their release from hospitals,” she said. The in-charge of the Noonbahi MOC, said: “We are planning to set up a home for elderly patients here and need to get some visiting doctors for them. We are not getting medicines for Kala-ajar patients from open market.” The MOC activists informed the district health officials that most of the people, falling in the category of poorest of the poor, from the tribal belts such as Gazole, Nalagola and Habibpur in Malda district are forced to go to MOC’s sanatorium located at Patiram and Raiganj in South Dinajpur and North Dinajpur, respectively for treatment. “They face difficulties to bear the cost of their journey from Malda. It is not possible for them to reach the outdoor departments of the hospitals on time,” the in-charge of the Noonbahi centres told the health officials. “There are 140 and 170 bed sanatorium in Patirum and Raiganj where most of the bed are being occupied by the patients from Malda,” the nuns said. At Noonbahi MOC, there is only a children’s home called Nirmal Shishu Bhawan where 36 poor kids are being treated suffering from tuberculosis , kalaajar and malnutrition. — SNS

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