Child Home School, Birth Child Home, Child Home, Social And Welfare Services, Social Welfare Policy, Social Welfare Issue, Social Welfare Office, Social Welfare Agency, Social Welfare Program, Social Welfare Program In India, Social Welfare Programme In India, Social Welfare Programme, Social Welfare Programmes In India

Dr. Davinder Singh
Mobile: 91 - 09816400503

OR

E-Mail us at delhi@kalgidharsociety.org

Akal charitable hospital started functioning in 1985 in a portion of the basement of the old building of Ashram. There was a male ward with 20 beds and a female ward with 15 beds. It had a one room operation theatre and attached labour room. Two small ante-rooms served as autoclaving room-cum-store and gynae OPD respectively. It also had an X-ray room and a room with dental chair. While eye surgeries were routinely performed by Dr. Neelam Kaur, the very first ENT operations were performed by Dr. Gautam Singh Sikand (MS ENT) assisted by Dr. G.P. Singh (Orthopedic Surgeon). Routine O.P.D. was run in the School Office by Dr. Davinder Singh and Dr. Neelam Kaur.

New building of the Akal charitable hospital started functioning in April 2004 and 50 surgeries were performed in the free medical camp held in the new building. In October 2003, 2100 patients attended OPD and 46 surgeries were performed. Prior to this, in March 2003, 2483 patients attended OPD and 52 surgeries were performed. Now Akal Hospital has 200 beds with Naturopathy, Physiotherapy, Dental Wing, Medical wards, Paediatric ward, Gynae ward, Eye ward, De-addiction unit, Psychiatry ward and operation theater.

The Kalgidhar Society is a registered charitable organization duly incorporated under the existing laws of the Indian Republic and is registered with the Commissioner of Income Tax, Shimla. Free medical camps to provide the ultra-modern health services to the people of this remote hilly area of Himachal Pradesh are held on regular basis at Akal Charitable Hospital. In these camps, all the health services including surgeries are provided free of cost. The duration of each camp is three days; first day for check-ups in O.P.D. and following two days to perform surgeries. Besides these camps, Naturopathy camps are also held from time to time.

In fact, these are the camps where patients and their attendants walk into the hospital, get the required treatment and then go back home just as we go to a Gurdwara Sahib, get free stay, free langar and come back. Most of the beneficiaries are poor people from the villages of near and far-off hilly areas, where the healthcare facilities are scarce and they cannot afford to go to distant cities and towns for treatment which is very costly. Specialists like plastic surgeons and ENT surgeons performing microscopic surgeries are not easily available in the state. Specialist doctors and paramedical staff in all major disciplines participate in these free camps.

Duration and periodicity of camps:

These camps are held biannually in the months of April and September/October i.e. during the festivals of Baisakhi and Dussehra. Two more camps (with another team of doctors) are also held within a month of these camps.

Nature of Camps:

OPD attendance: About 2000 to 2500 patients are examined at each camp.

Indoor Patients: Hospital is completely occupied during these camps. To accomodate all the patients, extra beds/ floor beds are required to be arranged.

Surgeries: About 100 surgeries are performed at each camp. Three to five surgeries are performed simultaneously.

Volunteers required for Medical Camps:

Medical Staff: Specialist Doctors in all disciplines like Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Gynaeclogy, Eye, ENT, Plastic Surgery, Anaesthesia, Psychiatry, Dentistry, Skin and VD, Radiology, Pathology.

House Doctors: MBBS doctors / Interns, BAMS, DHMS, doctors to work in OPD's, wards and OT's.

Receptionists: Staff to make OPD slips

Dispensing Staff: Pharmacists, dispensers, trained personnel to give injections

Laboratory Staff: Lab Technicians, Lab Attendants etc.

Radiographers: Ophthalmic Assts./Optometrists

Nursing Staff: Staff nurses, Nursing sisters, ANM's, LHV's etc.

Operation Theatre Staff: OT Assistants, OT staff nurses, OT helpers, Autoclaving Room (CSSD) staff. Three to five tables are run almost round the clock during camp days.

Ward Attendants: Male ward boys and female ward attendants to help the nursing staff.

OPD Assistants: Personnel to man the OPD's

Safai Sewaks: To work in wards and OT's

Other Members: Office staff, volunteers for 'May I Help You' desk, personnel to escort very elderly patients, Security staff etc. In fact volunteers of any age, qualification and experience can render suitable help. In the last camp, 46 doctors (three from U.S.), 14 staff nurses, 7 OTA's, 4 LT's, 4 Pharmacists, One Ophthalmic officer, One office staff and about 30 other volunteers participated.