In the absence of a government hospital, Al-Shifa Multispeciality Hospital, a community run initiative, is rendering yeoman’s service to fulfil the unmet needs of about 7-lakh estimated residents of Okhla, a suburban area of the South-East Delhi district, bordering Uttar Pradesh.
With an aim to provide quality healthcare services at an affordable cost, a charitable NGO, the Human Welfare Trust started the Al-Shifa Hospital at Okhla in 2011.Okhla is one of the oldest localities in Delhi, near the bank of Yamuna River and the Okhla Canal, built by the British government in 1874.
The director of the hospital, M. Abdul Nazar, who is from Kerala and has more than 30 years of experience of running a multispecialty hospital states that the Al-Shifa Hospital, one of the best multispecialty hospitals in the area, is offering best services to all communities, from poor and middle class to upper class people of the locality with an aim ‘to provide quality health care to all at affordable cost with compassion in the most patient friendly environment.’ Informing that it was initially launched with 50 beds, now, he added, “it has bed capacity of 100, and further works are speedily going on to upgrade it to 150, to cater the growing needs of the locality.”
Mentioning the hospital’s services during COVID-19 crisis, when there was an acute shortage of beds and Oxygen in most of the hospitals, Mr. Abdul Nazar told Radiance Viewsweekly that there was no scarcity of Oxygen and other facilities, etc. here.
“We reserved 50 beds exclusively for COVID treatment during the pandemic crisis. In the future, if needed, we would increase to 150 beds. When asked about the COVID crisis in which hospitals in Delhi were running out of space to admit pandemic patients, the director of the hospital informed that many calls were received from high level officials including the Prime Minister Office and we accepted their requests by admitting their patients,” he added.
Mr. Abdul Nazar informed that to meet the growing shortage of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients during the pandemic period in Delhi, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind President Syed Sadatullah Husaini launched a 50-bed COVID field hospital on 12th May 2021 along with oxygen cylinders and concentrators, nebulisation and separate wards for men and women.This field hospital was in collaboration with Aster Volunteers, the global arm of the renowned UAE based Aster DM Healthcare Limited, providing free treatment, medicines and the three-time healthy meals for patients at the hospital. The hospital is also administering the free COVID vaccine doses of Covishield and Covaxin.
In the wake of the looming COVID-19 scare, the Union Government a couple of times directed states to conduct mock drills, in all hospitals to take stock of existing hospital capacities. Mr. Marghoob Zaidi, PRO of the Al Shifa hospital, said, “We are fully equipped to fight it and at least 50 beds are dedicated to COVID-19.”
He added that the mock drill was conducted to inspect the preparedness of the medical facility to fight any eventuality.
According to its director, the hospital is providing round the clock maternity and emergency care services for in- and outpatients, and about 450 to 500 Outpatient Department (OPD) patients visit the doctors dailywith `300 consultation fee, which is very low as compared to that in other multispeciality private hospitals of the locality like Apollo or Escorts.
Talking about the mobile clinic service of the hospital which was launched by Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal in 2018, the director of the hospital said, “Its key component is mobile medical van, under which medical camps are being conducted in the areas about 15 to 20 km radius of Alshifa Hospital, Okhla including Jamia Nagar, Shaheen Bagh, Jasola, Kalindi Kunj, Sharam Vihar, Vasant Kunj and Jaitpur, etc. to provide free health and medical services including medicines for all communities. Till now, over 65,000 people have benefited through this mobile clinic. We are conducting free medical camps in the Mewat area of Haryana. “The mobile van is fully equipped with all medical facilities and required staff including doctors and nurses to offer diagnostic, laboratory, medical check-ups, consultation, and first aid treatment,” he added.
Chairman of the Human Welfare Trust (HWT), Mr. T. Arif Ali said, “We are doing everything we can to help as many patients in Delhi and NCR.”
The hospital has more than 20 different departments along with speciality and super speciality services with nearly 400 staff.
Mr. Abdul Nazar said, “We are doing cataract surgery and dialysis free of cost for the poor and needy people in collaboration with some NGOs. So far, about 260 free cataract surgeries have been done, out of the total 600 surgeries.”
In the year 2022, more than 400 needy patients got their dialysis for free at the hospital. Over 1.46 lakh patients benefited in 2022.
The director informed that the hospital is providing dialysis services with the lowest rate in New Delhi and even about 50 percent of dialysis are done free. “More than 38,300 dialysis were done till 15 March 2023. At present the hospital has 13 dialysis machines working round the clock in three shifts. Now, we are planning to increase to 20 machines,” he added.
The Chairman of HWT, which runs the hospital, assured that they are doing everything they can to help as many needy patients.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Mohammad Saleem G. Pattiwala, a radiologist, who has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare industry, has informed that Al-Shifa has started general OPD for needy and poor patients from every Monday to Saturday. Dr.Pattiwala had worked as a civil surgeon, Chief District Medical Officer and Regional Deputy Director in various government hospitals in Gujarat.
Calling it a poor-friendly hospital, Mr. Abdul Nazar said, “Our charges are very less as compared to other hospitals and we have a poor fund for eligible poor and needy patients for free treatment or giving 30% to 100% of concession in hospital bills along with different free services. Giving an example to compare the charges with other hospitals, he said, “The same super speciality doctor charges about two to three times higher in Apollo from OPD patients thanwhat he/she charges here as consultation fee. Since its inception we have so far covered around 10 lakh patients in the OPD and over 150 thousands indoor patients.”
Mr. Abdul Nazar said, “We have actively served the victims by providing free medical services in every difficult situation whether a crisis, natural disaster or riots. We are planning to set up a community-based clinic in Brijpuri locality of East Delhi, where building is ready for the hospital.”
According to him, there are five major future plans:
- Paramedical courses will be starting shortly;
- Diplomate of National Board (DNB) course for doctors which is a post-graduate degree equivalent to MD/MS, for specialisation will be launched;
- The process for accreditation of the hospital has been started;
- Planning to increase bed capacities to 150 is now in the final stage. Constructing two more floors;and
- MRI and CABlab will be set up.
Mr. Abdul Nazar said, “One of our major achievements is a cancer detection survey of around 5,000 local people. We have been conducting a monthly camp for the last three months to identify high-risk persons. Out of the total surveyed people, about 3 to 5 hundred people have been identified through the cancer screening as high-risk persons. We are giving them counselling, treatment and medicines after conducting X-ray, test and mammography and blood test, etc. without charges. Poor patients are assisted to take finance from the government, with the help of HWF’s Vision 2026 and Indian Cancer Society.”
According to him, the hospital is associated with the central government’s TB Alert programme, under which it is giving free X-rays and diagnosis, etc.
The hospital has so many free services, including vaccination for babies and mothers twice a week and around 80 to 100 persons vaccinated at one time.
Speaking about the successful conducting deliveries, one of the officials informed Radiance that average one hundred plus deliveries take place monthly with a high ratio of normal deliveries.