Serving humanity does not require a superpower or a special ability. The only tool that is needed to do good for humanity is empathy. Kindness is the key to be an instrument of inclusivity without any discrimination of caste, colour, and religion. That was probably the idea behind the establishment of the Hindu Panchayat Charitable Hospital in Sukkur in 1985. The hospital was made with the aim to serve an ailing human being without any discrimination, and that too without charging heavy fees for specialist doctors, medical tests, and medicines.
A group of mostly Hindu doctors along with their Muslim counterparts provide their free services to patients seven days a week. Some of the doctors provide services on daily basis, while some on alternate days, and some once a week. The hospital is equipped with a good laboratory, ultrasound facility, physiotherapy section, TB testing machines, gynaecology department, a medical store, and other facilities. On service at the hospital are physicians, and specialist doctors, including gynae, ENT, eye, neuro, chest, kidney, and skin specialists, and dentists and sonologists.
While I was visiting the hospital, I saw a man holding the hand of a woman who looked unwell and was not able to walk properly. He went directly to the reception, handed a fifty rupee note to the receptionist and received a token. After that, the man escorted the ailing woman to a room for a check-up. On being asked, he introduced himself as Karim Bux and said, “The woman is my wife and is having some digestive problem, due to which she started vomiting soon after eating. One of my neighbours told me about this hospital where people can get medical treatment for just Rs 50.” Karim Bux added, “Saheb, we are poor people and cannot afford to visit private hospitals.”
An elderly woman, Kaneez Begum, who was there for an ultrasound shared her experience about her visit to the hospital, “I frequently visit this hospital for treatment because apart from a thorough check-up, the staff also provide free medicines, and therefore being a poor woman, I prefer this hospital to any other for medical aid.” Replying to a question she said, “I can’t go to the Civil Hospital because it is far away from my home, and secondly, it takes hours to get a check-up. And that is not all. Mostly, patients do not get free medicines from government hospitals, and at this hospital, after paying Rs 50, I get proper a check-up and medicines without any problem.”
A young lady, Rukhsana, accompanied by her mother-in-law, was there to see a gynaecologist. On a question she said, “No doubt, there are some very good gynaecologists in the government hospital, but visiting there is very time consuming, therefore I prefer to have a check-up in this hospital.” She added that in this time of ever-rising inflation, everyone cannot afford to visit private hospitals, and for such people the Hindu Panchayat Charitable Hospital is no less than a blessing where one can get a full check-up by a specialist doctor and medicines for just fifty rupees.
Abdul Qadeer was undergoing physiotherapy following a complaint of muscular strain. Talking to the Express Tribune he said, “I am visiting this hospital for quite some time, and now I am here for physiotherapy for the last four days and feeling much better.”
Another patient, Kulsoom, was waiting for her turn in the waiting area. Sharing her story, she told me that she had come to the hospital following severe heartburn. She said, “Most of my neighbours visit this hospital because of the very low charge of Rs 50, and they all get a thorough check-up by renowned family physicians and specialists and get free medicines. As you must be aware that due to sky-rocketing inflation, people avoid going to private hospitals, and therefore this hospital is a good option to get proper treatment for an affordable fee.” According to Kulsoom, more such charitable hospitals should be established where poor and middle class and even upper middle-class people could get proper medical assistance.
A young man, Majid, with the complaint of severe headache was also waiting for his turn. He said, “Whenever I need to see a doctor, I visit this hospital and receive medical treatment for a very low fee.”
Hindu Panchayat Charitable Hospital’s Vice Chairman Doctor Pirbhomal, a renowned physician, is serving the hospital for many years. Every day, he visits in the morning and provides free check-ups to patients. According to him, serving fellow human beings is just to please God because God loves those who take care of their fellow beings.
Doctor Atma Ram is also a very good physician and has been visiting the hospital on every Sunday for the four years. Answering a question, he said, “I charge nothing from the patients or the hospital administration; even the token fee of fifty rupees goes to the hospital.
Another physician, Doctor Shatrughan, also visits the hospital on Sundays, and according to him, he joined the hospital three months ago.
It is utterly remarkable that many specialist doctors are visiting the hospital, either daily, or on alternate days, or once weekly. In this time of inflation when specialist doctors are charging Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 for check-up at their private hospitals, the Hindu Panchayat Charitable Hospital is serving the people in true spirit, and that too for mere fifty rupees.
Mukhi Eshwar Lal Makheja, President of the Hindu Panchayat, was not available for a comment.
Talking to the Express Tribune, Agha Bashir Ahmed Tareen, Administrator, said that the Hindu Panchayat Charitable Hospital was established in 1985 with the aim to provide free medical service to the poor and needy. Since then, many renowned doctors joined the noble cause and are serving the ailing people without any discrimination.” Agha Tareen added that the president of the hospital is Doctor Bhajan Lal, and the vice chairman is Doctor Pirbhomal. Not a single doctor serving in the hospital receives any sort of salary; rather, many of the doctors provide medicines to the hospital on a regular basis.
Agha Tareen also shared, “We charge a fifty-rupee token to patients who come in for a check-up, after which they are provided with the medicines prescribed by a doctor.” According to him, the hospital’s laboratory charges fifty percent less for different tests as compared to other laboratories situated in the city. “For an ultrasound, we charge Rs 300, whereas sonologists in the city are charging Rs 600 to Rs 800 for the same service.
Talking about hospital timings, Agha Tareen said, “Our timings throughout the week are 9 am to 2 pm, and in the evening, 6 pm to 10 pm. Normally, we receive around 250 to 300 patients a day, but sometimes the number of patients go up to 500 or more. He added that poor and needy people across the province and even some parts of Balochistan visit this hospital to undergo check-ups by specialist doctors. He said, “So far we are only running the outpatient department but establishing a fully equipped indoor patient department is also on the cards.”
Replying to a question about governmental donations, Agha Tareen said, “Neither the federal government and nor the provincial government has so far provided any funds to run the hospital. However, some well-to-do people regularly and generously donate to the hospital, making us able to serve more and more people. Though our hospital is equipped with some important apparatus, we badly need an X-ray machine and an MRI machine. I am optimistic that one day the hospital will get all the modern-day equipment, which will further give us an opportunity to serve humanity.”
Sarfaraz Memon is a freelance writer. All information and facts provided are the sole responsibility of the writer.