Muslim-dominated Bihar village runs health centre for the poor through donations

PATNA: Residents from a village in Bihar have set an example for the society by running a community health centre by way of raising donations.

The village now the cynosure of all eyes is Malmal located under Kaluahi block in Madhubani district. The Muslim-dominated village is home to some 12,000 villagers.

The poor villagers earlier faced a lot of troubles whenever any person fell sick. There was no health centre in the nearby nor was there ambulance. They had just no option other than taking recourse to quacks which sometimes proved deadlier for them.

Eventually, 20 youths from the village employed in big cities sat together, formed a welfare society and decided to run a health centre at their village by raising donations to help the villagers in distress. They all began contributing Rs 1,000 each per month.

Eventually, they opened a health centre in a Madarsa located at the village. Right now, two doctors, one male and a female, are posted at the health centre. Male doctor works round the clock while the female doctor remains available twice in a week.

Now the villagers don’t have to rush outside for every treatment. And, if they go out, they travel in their own ambulance at the time of emergency. And, these all have been made possible due to initiative of 20 youths.

“A villager needs to deposit only Rs 100 against which they get treatment and medicines as well,” welfare society president Gajnafar Hussain said.

The money collected through villagers is spent on paying salary of doctors, purchasing medicines or on other related things.

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