Another mosque in Hyderabad tends to the sick

Hyderabad: A survey conducted in urban twin slums of Mohammedi Lines and Hakeempet, situated on the western side of the city, abutting market areas like Shaikpet, Jubilee Hills and Tolichowki, has revealed that primary healthcare facilities are lacking, particularly in Hakeempet, which has an estimated population of about two lakh, mostly daily labour.

To provide free health services in urban slums, city-based NGO, Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), has set up a health care centre in a mosque. A door-to-door survey was conducted in Hakeempet and Mohammedi Lines by the foundation;514 households were contacted to assess the health status of people and whether the services were adequate.

According to HHF, the survey covered 46 per cent men and 54 per cent women. As many as 77 per cent people go to private clinics, 19 per cent to the 'Basti Dawakhanas' while four per cent said they visit nearby government hospital.

The survey found that most people the slums visit private clinics and hospitals. Forty-five per cent of them said they spend up to Rs 200 per visit; the rest spend between Rs 200 and 300 and more. This adds up to at an average Rs 2,000-3,000 a month of out-of-pocket expenses.

"More than 60 per cent said private clinics do not function during day. People generally wait till evening to get access to the clinics even after shelling out money," said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of HHF.

Considering the survey findings, HHF, along with SEED-USA in collaboration with Masjid-e-Ibrahim in Hakeempet, has opened their fifth primary health care centre in Hakeempet and Mohammedi Lines. A common feature of all five PHCs is that they are in core slums and run out of space provided by mosques.

Quadri Clinic at Masjid Ibrahim was formally opened by Habib Quadri, president, SEED-USA. His family has come forward to sponsor it.

Askari said the clinic will have two each doctors and nurses, a pharmacist, a data entry operator and two counsellors for NCDs and will need Rs 30 lakh per annum to provide free consultations, medicines, and allied services to the underprivileged sections.

"We are bringing high quality primary health care integrated with other adjuvant interventions like eye, dental and NCDs at the grassroots level, which is having profound impact on the health outcomes and socio-economic well-being of urban slums of Hyderabad," added Askari.