Skip to main content

Inspired by health for all motto, built by workers: Shaheed Hospital of Chhattisgarh

By Bharat Dogra* 

At a time when the trend of trying to maximize profits has led to so many serious distortions in the health sector, the need for at least some efforts which have been consistently providing rationality based, low cost medical care with a special emphasis on trying to reach out to workers and peasants and to all weaker sections of society has increased further.
The Shaheed Hospital in Dalli Rajhara (Chattisgarh) region provides one such highly inspiring example. It is, moreover, a very rare example of a hospital which was actually created, built, expanded by workers, using their own hard labor and meager savings (with some help from other well-wishers). It has been a tremendous effort to maintain the continuity of this hospital’s work during the last four decades.
The Shaheed Hospital also provides a very inspiring example of many deeply committed doctors, nurses, medical and other workers who have been serving the hospital with the deepest commitment over the years.
In particular one must mention Dr. Saibal Jana who has been with the hospital since its birth and still continues to lead this inspiring effort, braving many difficulties and adversities.
Going back about four decades, the late seventies and early eighties were a period of great awakening and hope in the mining township of Dalli Rajhara. The iron ore miners, particularly contract workers, had been successfully resisting highly exploitative practices including very low wages.
Under the inspiring leadership of the legendary trade union leader Shankar Guha Niyogi and his close colleagues, the workers had followed this success with many constructive programs with the understanding of combining struggles with many-sided constructive work (sangharsh va nirman).
This included a very effective campaign against liquor addiction, education and vocational training, cultural programmes and above all a strong health program of workers and peasants.
By then the trade union had spread to some other mining areas as well and what is more, had established a strong organizational base in the rural areas under the banner of Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM). This and the main trade union called the Chattisgarh Mines Shramik Sangh (CMSS) became the main hub of asserting the rights of workers and peasants in this region.
I was fortunate to be a part of these times of hope as a visiting reporter and journalist. However my first visit to the area was in more difficult circumstances, as a member of a human rights team, when a big protest movement was going on and Niyogi Ji had been arrested. Later I also got permission to meet Niyogi Ji in jail.
So phases of repression and the resulting protests were always coming in and the constructive work had to be continued in the middle of this. Niyogi Ji once told with a sigh -- we have so many ideas about experimental constructive work with great potential but the day to day problems which are always being created for our union leaves us very less time for this.
Despite this, constructive work like workers giving up liquor on a large scale and in a very determined way was a big success. Around the same time as visitors we started seeing patients coming in significant numbers to a dispensary operating then from a garage. Doctors like Vinayak Sen, Ashish Kundu and Saibal Jana had started reaching here to start a healthcare program, and a health committee of workers had been formed.
At the time of disasters like Latur earthquake and Bhopal gas leak, the hospital sent its volunteers for helping
The arrangement in garage was only a temporary one, we learnt, the workers plan to soon build their own hospital! This was great news which enthused many visitors, but they had their doubts too. A hospital, its building and equipment cost a lot of money too; how can the workers arrange all this.
But soon the workers by their strong determination were soon turning this into a reality. As many as 1000 workers would gather at the time of construction and with their disciplined and dedicated voluntary work would complete in a single day work that may otherwise drag on for an extended period.
During subsequent visits visitors saw the inauguration of the new hospital building in 1983, additions to it, various equipment and new facilities being added, an ambulance being purchased, the number of beds being increased.
Each of these improvements and additions was a quiet celebration of the aspirations of the workers and peasants, most of them from tribal communities and other weaker sections who had suffered much due to earlier denial of proper medical care and some had even lost family members due to this.
The hospital got its name Shaheed (martyr) from the memory of those comrades who had been killed in the course of an early struggle; they would surely rest in peace that an institution created in their name has saved so many precious human lives.
Even at an early stage the hospital and the union took steps to take health campaigns to wider rural areas and improve water and sanitation in the area. At the time of disasters like the Latur earthquake and the Bhopal Gas Leak disaster, the hospital sent its volunteers for helping.
Young doctors and health personnel keen to work with similar ideals came here to gain experience and inspiration. The hospital became a center recognized widely for providing very good training to nurses. It contributed to and also made made effective use of various government health programs.
As the hospital completes nearly 4 decades of its tremendously useful and inspiring efforts, There are many, many friends and beneficiaries who wish for the further success of this effort, with more doctors and others coming forward to help.
---
*Honorary convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include ‘Planet in Peril’, ‘A Day in 2071’ and ‘Man over Machine'

Comments

TRENDING

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative  During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence  -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi*  The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the  2050 net zero commitments , a new study  released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman*  It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

'State-sanctioned terror': Stop drone attack on Adivasis, urge over 80 world academics

Counterview Desk  A joint statement, “Indigenous Peoples’ Un-Freedoms and Our Academic Freedom: A Call for Solidarity”, endorsed by over 80 signatories, including international academics, activists and civil society organizations, as well as diasporic Indian academics and researchers, working with Adivasi (indigenous) communities in India, has made an urgent appeal to prevent future drone bomb attacks by the Indian state on Adivasi villages.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative  The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.