Through our healthcare programmes, HOPE brings health services and practical health advice to needy communities in Kolkata. Improving the health of street connected children and families living in the slums of Kolkata is one of The Hope Foundation’s priorities and is key in the fight against poverty. Healthy children, who become healthy adults, create better lives for themselves and their families.
Our healthcare programmes have made significant progress in immunization, water sanitation and ante-natal and post-natal care, saving the lives of thousands of infants and their mothers. We also provide emergency care and surgeries in our HOPE Hospital. Our aim at HOPE is to provide ancillary services to strengthen the existing health services that are provided by the Government of West Bengal. Over the past decade we’ve developed strong partnerships with local non-governmental organizations, and work together delivering services in slum communities.
HOPE Hospital offers medical treatment to underprivileged people living below the poverty-line, who would otherwise be deprived of necessary medical treatment.
This is achieved via the following strategic objectives:
The ICU consists of 10 beds in separate chambers, and is fully equipped with lifesaving equipment.
30 general care beds for a male and female wards, with priority always given to children.
The out-patient department caters to both above and below poverty-line patients and has a central role in the Hospital. The consultant doctors provide referral for patients from below poverty-line households to the In-patient Department, order their required tests, diagnose and also arrange for any surgery and after care needed. Specialized doctors are available in General medicine, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, ENT, Orthopaedic, Nephrology, Gynaecology, Dermatology, Cardiology, Psychiatry & Psychology, Neurology, Urology, Dental surgery, Neuro-medicine as well as Physiotherapy.
Testing includes Pathology, X-Ray, Cardiology and Ultra-Sonography Departments.
A four-bedded dialysis unit was established in December 2021. Three are for normal patients (non-infectious diseases) and one instrument is reserved for patients with infectious diseases like HIV and HBsAg who need dialysis.
Consists of Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory, Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Microbiology Laboratory, Immunochemistry Laboratory and Histopathology Laboratory.
This department caters to both in-patients and out-patients and is equipped with instrumentation provided by the sponsorship of generous Donors. The Eye Surgery Department was established in 2016 and carries out cataract and other eye surgeries.
Established in June 2014; in-patients can now buy medicines at retail prices; out-patients and local customers also help generate funds.
HOPE’s Blindness Eradication Programme, launched in 2016, runs in Kolkata and surrounding villages of West Bengal. Vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition are major causes of corneal scarring among children and underprivileged adults in Kolkata, resulting in many becoming blind. Specsavers Ireland has supported HOPE to continue to roll out our Blindness Eradication Programme across street and slum communities and schools through community-based camps and special eye clinics in HOPE Hospital in Kolkata.
In 2020, Specsavers further showed their commitment to HOPE by agreeing to cover the education and living costs for students undertaking a two-year Optometry Diploma course. 24 students have graduated so far.
HOPE’s Night Round Mobile Medical Unit was launched in April 2017. The ambulance patrols high risk areas three nights every week over a period of four hours and provides immediate medical treatment for destitute women and children in crisis and dangerous situations on the streets.
For secondary medical service patients are referred to Government Hospitals and in emergency cases, clients are immediately admitted to HOPE Hospital. In crucial cases, appropriate authorities contacted for their transfer to residential protection homes. Child Line is contacted if any child is found on the streets in need of rescue.
Apart from medical treatment, free medical check-ups and free medicine are provided to street-dwelling communities during the night hours. The Night Round team disseminate information on HIV and other infectious diseases among community members.
Chitpur and Sickline slums are home to migrant people from different districts of West Bengal and neighbouring states Bihar and Jharkhand, and even Bangladesh, in search of livelihood opportunities. The majority of them do not have citizenship documents and are reluctant to access Government Health care services due to unawareness and illiteracy.
HOPE initiated a weekly medical clinic in Chitpur and Sickline slums to provide free medical treatment and medicine to the under-served community with special emphasis on children, pregnant and lactating mothers, adolescent youths and older adults.
The patients receive free medical check-ups, medicine and are also linked to primary healthcare services for appropriate immunization and family planning. Patients who require secondary treatment are referred to government hospitals or HOPE Hospital.
The Naya Daur programme of our NGO partner Iswar Sankalpa, which began in 2007, reaches out to Kolkata’s forgotten and destitute individuals, providing enhanced care and treatment for homeless persons with psycho-social disabilities who are living on the streets.
The project works in 40 wards under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to identify clients who are homeless and suffering with mental health conditions. Through a referral network, the organisation aims to restore clients back to their homes (where appropriate) or provide shelter, appropriate care and treatment. In some cases, the clients are supported to secure a job in a shop, tea stall, food stand, etc.
HOPE and HIVE (one of our NGO partners) work in partnership to deliver a 24 hour, 7 days a week response unit of social workers, who respond immediately to those in need. The Unit attends to any person on the street requiring medical assistance and people abandoned on the street due to domestic violence, human trafficking, violation of human rights and laws. The Unit particularly focuses on street dwelling children, women and elderly. Where possible and appropriate, the Unit reunites individuals with their families, assists below poverty-line families to access medical care and through strong referral networks, supports at-risk individuals to link with Government departments such as the police, Child Welfare Committee and judicial court to get shelter in appropriate half-way homes and after care units.
The Unit also receives calls from the Kolkata Police and Fire Department, to respond to crises calls throughout the city, particularly road accidents, fire, building collapse and mass gatherings. The project responds to disasters and provides food, first-aid and ambulance services.