By Prof. Sami Askari

Islam teaches us the importance and significance of brotherhood.  Many people living in developed countries are blessed with the opportunities and facilities to have specialized treatment which is available to them at the click of a button. However the same opportunities and facilities are dream for the poor people of Bihar.  Poor people die without proper treatment.  The relations are left with this feeling “kash elaj hua hota to shayad bach jata”.

With the establishment of Zainabiya Health Centre in Bihar during the year 1993 the dream of poor has turned in to reality.  The poor have opportunities and facilities for specialized treatment at the cost of attending a Health Centre.  If the patient comes in contact with Zainabiya Health Centre, Patna, one can not die without proper treatment.  Due to efforts of Medical Advisory Board of the World Federation we have funds for any type of specialized treatments at our disposal.  Zainabiya Health Centre treats people irrespective of any caste or religion.  At present three sections are working in Zainabiya Health Centre.

1. A Physician attends the centre on every working day except Friday.
2. A Lady Gynaecologist attends the centre once a week.
3. In Aeinullah Eye Clinic an Eye Specialist examines the patients once a week.  Eye surgeries are done at the centre after a full examination and pathological tests. 
4. We also organise Free Eye Camp once in a year in the campus of Madrasa Islamia Kujhwa, Siwan. In these Eye camps everybody irrespective of any caste or religion has a right to get operated.  This is a service to the Humanity.

Primary Health Care

Number of Patients Treated at Zainabiya Health Centre - Patna

Zainabiya Health Centre Patient being examined

Gynaecology Section
This section was started in 2001.  Poor Lady Patient’s have a Lady Doctor for the treatment of gynaecological diseases.  The Lady Doctor attends the Zainabiya Health Centre once in a week.

Aeinullah Eye Clinic
Aeinullah Eye clinic started working in ZHC from 1999.  Eye specialist attends once a week.  Eye surgeries are done at the centre on as and when required basis.  The cost of eye surgeries for poor is paid by the ZHC.

Eye Surgery being preformed

Eye Camps
For the first time Late Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer had visited Bihar during the year 1989.  He started taking interest in our work.  A number of schemes were introduced in Bihar.

Eye Camps – Blessings of Late Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer For the first time in 1993 we started organizing free Eye camp in Madrasa Islamia Kujhwa.  In these camps every body irrespective of any caste or religion had a right to get operated.  For eye surgeries eye specialists from Patna were going to Kujhwa for examination of patients and eye surgeries for Cataract.

Eye camps were closed by the order of Government of India in 2002.  Now patients are operated for any type of eye disease in our Aeinullah Eye Clinic.    It is needless to say that after each eye surgery we give spectacles to every patient. Even during Eye-Camps we have given spectacles to every patient.

Patients awaiting eye surgery at a Free Eye Camp

Patient being escorted to waiting area after surgery

Specialized Treatment for the Poor and Needy
We have Medical Relief funds for specialized treatment for the poor and needy.  We have helped poor people from this fund for different types of treatments including Cancer, Gall Bladder operation, Hysterectomy, Orthopaedics cases and others.  All these treatments were possible due to availability of fund from Medical Advisory Board.  For specialized treatments the patient contacts the Medical officer of ZHC who examines the patients and refers him/her to specialists.  Todate, 136 males and 145 females have been provided with specialised treatment.

Eradication of Tuberculosis
In Bihar the economic condition of people is terrible. Most of the poor people suffer from Tuberculosis. We are trying our best to screen such patients.  We give full course of Medicine for the treatment of Tuberculosis. We also pay for all investigations.

Heart Surgery 
In Bihar no poor could have imagined any type of heart surgery. Recently a lady about 35 years was helped to get this life saving heart surgery in New Delhi.  Her full treatment was funded by this Medical Relief fund.   She has made excellent recovery.

Cancer
We have helped 5 people who were suffering from Cancer. All possible treatments were done include surgeries and chemotherapy.  These poor patients know that the disease is not curable but at least they had access to correct treatment.

Brain Surgery
A young poor man with brain haemorrhage collapsed.  He underwent emergency surgery and made excellent recovery. 

Orthopaedics Surgeries   
Recently, one of the olamas was involved in a serious road traffic accident.  A young boy was killed but he survived though seriously injured with multiple fractures.  His full treatment was funded from this fund and his life was saved.

Removal of Stone from Kidney and Gall-Bladder
Three cases of removal of stone from kidney were taken up. Two cases of Gall-Bladder were done.  The cost of operation was met from above mentioned fund.

Hysterectomy, Ovarian Cyst and Caesarean
A poor lady underwent major surgery (Hysterectomy).  Her husband is a labourer.  They had two handicapped children. 

Two further cases of Hysterectomy, one case of Caesarean section and one case of Ovarian Cyst were also funded from this project.  In addition to above cases we have funded for the operation of hydrocoel, treatment of hepatitis-b, kalazar, mental disease, motor neuron disease etc.

Our services to the poor of Bihar continue and long may it last – thanks to Medical Advisory Board of the World Federation.