All of us love to dream about the fantasies of life, don’t we? But how many of us dare to dream about the underprivileged? In today’s world, we hardly have the time to think about others. This act of selfishness is what distinguishes us from one woman, an 80-year-old, Subhashini Mistry. The grit and determination of this woman have come as a blessing to the locality of Hanspukur, Kolkata.
It was way back in 1971 when it all started, one of the dreadful days in Subhashini’s life, Late Sadhan Chandra Mistry, Subhashini’s husband, an agricultural labour returned home from work with a severe tummy ache. The pain grew unbearable as the clock ticked by and Mr. Sadhan had to be admitted to a hospital. The doctors left him unattended for few days and later said it was too late for anything to be done. Helpless Subhashini could only see her husband reeling in pain, and all that she could do was watch him die. And as she wept before her husband, she had already decided that she would save as many people as she could from her husband’s fate. She decided that she would not let anyone face the kind of difficulties that she had to face due to lack of healthcare. She would build a hospital. But was it really possible for a poor young widow, with four small children and 70 paise in savings even dream to build a hospital? Well, then it was her sheer determination and courage that made it possible. Keeping her own body and soul together she fought for the impossible.
Over the next 20 years, she toiled as a housemaid, manual labourer and vegetable seller. She did everything she could that would fetch her money. In the morning she sold vegetables at Park Circus, Kolkata, in the afternoon she worked in her neighbor’s field, in the evening she was a housemaid. She saved every paise she could, never spending single paise on any luxuries of life. All this was because she had a dream to build a hospital. “I used to earn five paise, two paise for rent, two paise for food and one paise was my savings,” recalled Subhashini, as tears rolled down her eyes. Meanwhile, she educated her son Ajoy Mistry to be a doctor. By 1991, Subhashini had managed to save Rs 85,000 and bought a land. The Humanity Trust was formed in 1993 in a shed with mud flooring, which served as a dispensary and offered free medicines to the poor. She even urged the doctors to offer free service. Nearby doctors agreed to volunteer. Later in 1996, Subhashini’s dream became a reality, Humanity Hospital was born, with donations and help from local politicians.
Today it is a 3-storeyed building and is equipped with 35 beds. Although it has a capacity of 100 beds, due to the shortage of funds it only services with 35. “Where the monthly turnout of patients is around 5,000 the hospital caters to the need with great difficulty,” said Ajoy Mistry. In serious cases, surgeries are performed at nominal fees. “Electricity is a major concern in this area; a sound proof generator is needed most urgently,” said Subhashini. “Along with a generator, a lift is also necessary, but the shortage of funds is our main obstacle,” said Ajoy Mistry. Patients not only from the locality but also from Medinipur and Bangladesh have come here for treatment. “Applications for funds were made to various NGO’s and other governmental organizations, but there was no response,” sighed Subhashini.
There are few doctors who are available 24 hours and rest offer services once or twice a week. Mediclaims are done to poor families by the Humanity Trust which was formed in 1993. 15 kilometers away is a government hospital, but the local people prefer Humanity Hospital as free facilities are provided. There is no ambulance. “After Humanity in Hanspukur, we have opened a branch in Sunderban which is looked after by Dr. Debashish Dutta, a cardiologist at Humanity Hospital,” said Dr. Ajoy Mistry. “To run a fully fledged hospital we need more staffs, but to recruit them we need some extra funds which are absent,” said Subhashini Mistry.
With all these gaps, the hospital still exists and provides services to thousands of patients monthly. For the local people, Subhashini is something extraordinary, something divine. Her only wish is, everyone should come forward for the sake of humanity. For the last 50 odd years she has led the struggle alone, and now she wants everyone to be a part of this historic achievement. Through grit and determination, Humanity Hospital stands as a dream come true for Subhashini. But the dream is far from over, Subhashini still dreams of making Humanity a super-speciality hospital. But there is only one question that haunts her every day, where will the funds come from? Funds remain the primary and perhaps the only barrier between Subhashini and her dream.
Picture Courtesy: Google