Trust faces huge challenges to cater to Kashmir’s increasing chronic kidney, cancer, diabetic patients
|| NAZIR GANAIE
Ghulam Muhammad Shiekhin his seventies has only onejob to do- to take care of hisailing wife, Shiekh Amina, 60, whohas been suffering from chronic kidneydisease from over five years now.A tall, lean, Shiekh, sporting a greylong beard says his only son “betrayed”them in their old age, whichworsens their mental and economicconditions further.“This is a God’s will. I have beenchosen to for this test,” Shiekh says.“What worst can hit you when yourdear ones leave you deserted in yourold age,” he says.However Shikeh say, he was happythat his ailing wife is always supportiveto him.“She has been always there throughthick and thin. One of her four daughterstakes care of the old-aged coupleback home.”Shiekh credits Help Poor VoluntaryTrust – a Srinagar based charity trust,which according to him has come totheir help. “HPVT is a family to menow. I have to come here every monthto get medicine and some moneyto run my family chores,” he says.Shiekh, who hails from the centralKashmir‘s Ganderbal district.According to officials HPVT (Kashmir)was established in the year 1998with an aim to serve the ailing & poorsociety who is downtrodden and destitute.“Because of lack of medical careinsanitary conditions and financialstringencies various incurable diseasesare afflicted to the big chunk of ourpopulation, some people get disableddue to some crippling ailments & resortto begging,” Chairman HPVT,Nissar Ahmad Katju said.“In order to mitigate the sufferingsand multiple ailments of the poor anddeserving people, we aim to reach outto the destitute with the sincere effortsand endeavours,” he said.
The HPVT officials claim that currentlymore than one thousand patientssuffering from multiple ailmentslike deadly cancer, kidneyfailure, diabetes, psoriasis, seizuredisorder, paraplegic and other disordersare registered with this Trust.“Not only Trust provides them (patients)lifesaving medicines free ofcost also we try to reach out to themwith free ambulance services,” Katjusaid. “HPVT has a biggest challengeto meet the score of expenditure incurredon those patients only who aresuffering from ‘renal failures’ and thescore of these poor patients is swellingup which definitely involves huge sumof amount to meet the expenditureon their medicines,” he said.
He saidthat management was fully engagedto find out avenues for such patientsso that some relief is provided to theseseverely ailing poor patients.While HPVT has established theShehlut Pharmacy, where free drugsand consultations is provided to theneedy patients from across Kashmir,the Trust claims to be equally workinground the clock to visit and enquireabout the welfare & whereabouts ofailing persons despite the fact that heis Muslim, Non-Muslim following adifferent faith of religion.“Shehluth Pharmacy – a subsidiaryof HPVT is functional at main officewhere thousands of patients are provided medicines on nonprofitbasis, concessional rates,” hesaid.
While HPVT hasestablished the ShehlutPharmacy, where freedrugs and consultationsis provided to the needypatients from acrossKashmir, the Trust claimsto be equally workinground the clock to visitand enquire about thewelfare & whereaboutsof ailing persons despitethe fact that he isMuslim, Non-Muslimfollowing a differentfaith of religion.
“Our volunteers go bed to bed in SMHS Hospital to enquire not onlyabout the requirements of medicines,life-saving drugs which are beyondtheir means to purchase, but also enquireabout the welfare in consonancewith the principles laid down in Eiyadatand Tamirdari,” Katju said. He said that volunteerism at the Trustwas growing day by day while the executivemembers spend their timeevery day in various Hospitals of theSrinagar city.“Trolley & Wheel Chair Servicesare presently being provided in all theHospitals of Srinagar City, where theTrust has employed their own personsto run the show successfully & to thebest comfort of the patients visitinghospitals,” he said.
“Currently morethan 25 volunteers apart from executivemembers including President andGeneral Secretary as also 25 MPHWs(Multipurpose Health Workers) ofHPVT are associated for this particularcause in the Hospitals.”Regarding the round the clock ‘Ambulancefacilities, Katju said that servicesare available within & outsidethe Municipal limits of Srinagar besidesoutside the J&K State in order tocater the emergencies, accidents andnatural calamities.“OPD facilities have been kept availablefor consultation where well reputedand experienced Doctors includingGeneral Physician, Orthopaedic andDental Surgeon are available to provideservices to the general public especiallyto the needy and underprivilegedpatients,” he said.
The chairman said that Trust wasaiming to establish ‘Counselling Centres’with expert panel of counsellorsto treat mentally challenged patientsand Rehabilitation Centre for Physicallychallenged patients. “The Trustplans to expand its reach and coverall hospitals of J&K. However sourceof income from the public donations(Zakat & Sadaqat) is very minimal,” hesaid.
According toofficials HPVT(Kashmir) wasestablished in theyear 1998 withan aim to servethe ailing & poorsociety who isdowntrodden anddestitute.
