SHEIKH IMRAN HUSSAIN, a social activist associated with a worthwhile medical assistance service in Pune, in an exclusive interview with DR. WAQUAR ANWAR, reveals the modus operandi of the services his centre is rendering to the society. Excerpts:
Tell us about your social activity.
I am an applicant member of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. The Jamaat in Maharashtra is providing medical assistance for poor patients at four places under the banner of Ideal Relief Committee Trust. I am working with this setup in Pune. The service involved is basically to arrange the benefits of government-schemes for deserving patients. Patients with cancer, heart disease, TB, dialysis need, orthopaedic cases and other ailments approach us.
What is the modus operandi of the work involved?
Whenever patients approach us, we first give them a patient hearing and check their documents so that we may understand the nature and extent of their disease. Then we put up the case before our doctors for their medical advice. This gives us an idea about our course of action. Our task is to arrange the treatment at the lowest possible cost. Our doctors guide as to the best course of treatment; whether it should be done in a government hospital or a private one.
If the treatment is to be done in a government hospital, we help the patient concerned in getting him/her admitted to it. We have to arrange his/her documents as per the requirements of the hospital concerned. These documents include voter card, ration card and income certificate. Here, in the state of Maharashtra income certificate of below one lakh is required for availing oneself of some benefit under a government scheme. However, this requirement of income certificate is relevant if a patient is admitted to a private hospital and he/she is in need of the concerned government scheme. For a government hospital it may not be relevant.
A scheme of the Government of Maharashtra called Rajiv Gandhi Jeevan Dai Arogya Yojna provides assistance up to one lakh and fifty thousand. Another scheme meant for the residents under the Municipal Corporation of Pune is called Shahri Gareeb Yojna. To avail oneself of benefit under this scheme a card at the cost of Rs. 200 is to be got prepared. This card bears the photograph of all the members of the family. For this they have to provide a ration card and an electricity paid bill. On the basis of this card, benefit up to Rs. one lakh is available in a hospital, government or private. This benefit can be sought for any type of ailment, be it cancer or heart disease or any other problem. The cheque of Rs. one lakh is issued in favour of the hospital where the patient is admitted.
What actual services you could render?
Alhamdulillah we arranged treatment of 120 patients during the last two years, from January 2012 to December 2013. The value of assistance which we could pass on to the beneficiaries from Pune Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Government and from other individuals and NGOs is about Rs. twenty lakh. This is just the beginning of the work. Our target ahead is to do more work, Insha-Allah. Besides the government schemes of Pune Municipal Corporation and the Government of Maharashtra, we intend to reach out to relevant Central Government schemes. We have developed contacts with doctors and NGOs working in this particular area.
Do you help people get income certificate which they might not have got issued due to ignorance or any other reason?
The income certificate is issued by the office of the Collector certifying the number of working hands in the family and its total income. This certificate is accepted in hospitals. We help in getting this certificate issued where the concerned family could not do. However, the whole procedure takes about a fortnight and in a number of cases treatment has to commence at the earliest without delay. In such cases we approach different NGOs on phone or through emails requesting their help. We reach out to Jamaat-e-Islami too for the purpose. There are a number of NGOs in Pune working in this area. We provide these organisations with the information about the patient comprising his/her name, age, disease, hospital where admitted or to be admitted. These NGOs give us cheques in favour of the hospital or pay directly to the hospital.
What about the problems in getting a patient admitted to a government hospital?
We faced such problems in the beginning. Now, Alhamdulillah we have developed contacts and recognition and are able to get the job done hassle-free. For example, in a Central Government hospital here, a card at the cost of Rs. 20/- is prepared and it remains valid for one year. This card entitles treatment of any type of disease. However, it takes full one day for the initial check-ups, ascertainment of course of treatment and completion of admission procedures.
Do you serve non-Muslim patients too?
Yes! We serve both Muslim and non-Muslim patients. The number of non-Muslim patients we served is less because we are introduced more among the Muslim community. Our services are available to any person in need of medical assistance who approaches us, irrespective of caste, creed, gender or religion; it is humanity that matters.
What is the percentage of non-Muslim patients you served?
About 5 per cent.
How the needy approach you?
It is through the word of mouth. If we serve a person once, he will inform others and it continues so on. They first contact us on phone. Then we ask them to bring verification from any socially active person, like president of local unit of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, or the imam of the mosque in that area.
These referees particularly imams of mosques might be belonging to different religious schools (masaliks)!
Alhamdulillah cases are referred to us by all schools of thought, be they Ahle Hadees, Deobandi or Barailvi. To us religious affiliation of a person is not the issue. If a person is in need, we are here to serve him/her. In fact, this service is bringing us closer to every section of people.
What type of patients you are servicing?
A majority of patients are cancer related, particularly the cases of breast cancer among women. They need both chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy is the first stage where injections are given whereas radiation is the second stage of treatment. Chemotherapy in private hospitals is very costly. We take such patients to government hospitals. We approach our doctors and opt for generic medicines under their advice. Generic medicines are relatively cheap.
What about the doctors whom you approach first?
They are both Muslims and non-Muslims. Appointments have to be taken with some of them while we meet others directly without any appointment. The doctors for whom appointments are required are highly qualified and reputed persons.
You pay them fees!
Yes, one has to. They are very much considerate in our cases. Many of them do not charge from us. For example, Dr. Chetan Deshmukh and Dr. Kannan. They are highly reputed doctors where thirty to forty visitors are always in the waiting to meet them. They know that we are doing social work and they call us, disregarding the waiting list. They do not charge their fees from us.
What is your advice to those willing to work in this area of social service?
They may invite activists and experts from Maharashtra like Naeem sahib from Mumbai, Tauseef Ameen sahib from Aurangabad or, may be, me and work under their guidance for a few days. I think such on-job training for a fortnight would suffice. Persons working in this field should be aware of government schemes and other NGOs working in this particular area.