Helping farmers stay fit
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
She was not rich. But she had the average solvency of a well-to-do farmer of Bangladesh.
She had enough land to grow sufficient food to feed her family throughout the year, had livestock, a small but cosy cottage in Chandpur by the side of the river Meghna.
But the mother river struck her seven times, slowly engulfing her land, livestock, property and, last of all, her small but happy cottage. She is now staying in a roadside shelter at the flood protection dam at Horina village under Sadar Upazila in Chandpur.
A temporary shelter made of old and broken bamboo walls with minimum protection from rain or cold. Fifty-year old Fazilot Khatun stays there with her 80 years old husband who is also bed-ridden for the last couple of years due to severe illness. At present, they have no stable source of income.
Sometimes they get only light domiciliary work in the neighbours' houses and only then can earn some food. At other times they have to depend completely on the small amount of money that their two garments worker daughters send sparing from their earning after meeting their own familial expenditure. These two daughters are the only support of their parents, as they have no other children.
It is surprising but true that residing by the side of the vast fish source in the river Meghna, they get rare chance to have fish due to financial inability to buy and physical inability to catch. Thus they were somehow maintaining their life when Fazilot Khatun faced another disease. She was suffering from severe pain with a large lump in her left breast. She didn't have the ability to go even to a qualified doctor. So, she took some medication from the local medics and quacks but with no relief.
One fine morning Fozilot Khatun heard with surprise that some specialist doctors from Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital is coming near her house to give free medical service.
On March 10, she came to Horina of Sadar Upazila, Chandpur early in the morning for the health camp arranged as a sequel of weekly health camp for farmers in different rural areas of Bangladesh under the "Krishok Shasthyo Sheba" (Farmers' Health Service) programme, a joint venture of "Ridoy-E-Mati-O-Manush" programme of Channel I and the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital. There she was first brought to the attention of Dr Shehrin F Siddique, Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, JBFH. After examining her, she suspected it to be a case of breast carcinoma. Dr. Shehrin F Siddique immediately brought the matter to the notice of Mr. Mahbubul Alam, Director -Administration, JBFH, who was there coordinating the whole programme. In that camp, there was video teleconference facility. Mr. Director called the pioneer cancer specialist in Dhaka, Prof ABMF Karim, who immediately came to JBFH. Dr Shehrin F Siddique along with the patient Fozilot Khatun from Horina, Chandpur talked directly to Prof. ABMF Karim at JBFH, Dhaka through video teleconference. Prof. ABMF Karim gave his valuable opinion in favour of the primary diagnosis, breast carcinoma and advised the patient to be brought to Dhaka immediately for further treatment. But it was impossible for Fozilot Khatun even to go to Chandpur Sadar Hospital, so Dhaka was beyond her dreams. At that time, Dr. Jonaid Shafiq, Chairman, JBFH and the noted media personality and agro-economist, director-Channel I, Shykh Siraz, who were also present in the camp, immediately ordered for necessary arrangement to bring Fozilot Khatun to JBFH, Dhaka.
So, Fozilot Khatun was brought to Dhaka on 16.03.08 and admitted to 'Jibon Kheya,' a special unit for farmers' free indoor treatment under the Farmers Health Service Programme at the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital, Dhaka. There she was examined by Prof ABMF Karim, who confirmed that Fozilot Khatun is suffering from breast cancer. Dr. Hasina Azam, a leading surgeon in cancer surgery also examined the patient as advised by Prof. Karim. They both decided that her present condition is not suitable for surgery and decided to start chemotherapy immediately. It is however a very expensive therapy. As per advice of Prof. ABMF Karim, a team of chemotherapists comprising Dr. Didar, Dr Ferdous and Dr Sharmin started the chemotherapy after all primary investigations. After completion of the first cycle of chemotherapy, Fozilot Khatun would be going home with advice to come to JBFH after 5 days for some investigations and then readmitted on 01.04.08 for further treatment. She will need 4-5 further cycles of therapy and Krishok Shasthyo Sheba programme is committed that they will follow and assist the treatment of Fozilot Khatun till the end. Now she is feeling better. She is getting proper treatment and assistance.
There are millions of Fozilot Khatuns in every corner of Bangladesh and it is the aim of the programme under the Krishok Shastha Sheba and HBFH to find them out and do everything needful for them. In that way, Fazilot Khatun is just a step in advance. The people associated with the programme believe that they should reach the doorstep of every marginal farmer who is in search of medical help, which is beyond their reach. At present, noted agroeconomist and media personality, Director of Channel I, Mr Shykh Siraj, famous pain specialist and Chairman, JBFH, Dr Jonaid Shafiq, leading laparoscopic surgeon and managing director, JBFH, Dr Sarder A Nayeem, and Director, administration, JBFH, Mr Mahbubul Alam Babu are working continuously for establishing a 400-bed hospital for completely free health service only for the terminal farmers of Bangladesh.
Fazilot Khatun had no hope of getting any treatment of her disease. Now she is going home with a smiling face and tears of joy in her eyes. At her departure, she says, "I prayed to Allah for the help and He has sent you." The doctors at the JBFH and the Krishok Shastha Sheba feel that this is their highest reward that through them at least one Fazilot Khatun has found the lightened path of health. Let it be available to all the terminal farmers of our country and lead them to a secured healthy life. This is the only goal of Krishok Shasthyo Sheba (Farmers health Service) programme organised jointly by Ridoy-E-Mati-Manush of Channel I and the Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital.
She had enough land to grow sufficient food to feed her family throughout the year, had livestock, a small but cosy cottage in Chandpur by the side of the river Meghna.
But the mother river struck her seven times, slowly engulfing her land, livestock, property and, last of all, her small but happy cottage. She is now staying in a roadside shelter at the flood protection dam at Horina village under Sadar Upazila in Chandpur.
A temporary shelter made of old and broken bamboo walls with minimum protection from rain or cold. Fifty-year old Fazilot Khatun stays there with her 80 years old husband who is also bed-ridden for the last couple of years due to severe illness. At present, they have no stable source of income.
Sometimes they get only light domiciliary work in the neighbours' houses and only then can earn some food. At other times they have to depend completely on the small amount of money that their two garments worker daughters send sparing from their earning after meeting their own familial expenditure. These two daughters are the only support of their parents, as they have no other children.
It is surprising but true that residing by the side of the vast fish source in the river Meghna, they get rare chance to have fish due to financial inability to buy and physical inability to catch. Thus they were somehow maintaining their life when Fazilot Khatun faced another disease. She was suffering from severe pain with a large lump in her left breast. She didn't have the ability to go even to a qualified doctor. So, she took some medication from the local medics and quacks but with no relief.
One fine morning Fozilot Khatun heard with surprise that some specialist doctors from Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital is coming near her house to give free medical service.
On March 10, she came to Horina of Sadar Upazila, Chandpur early in the morning for the health camp arranged as a sequel of weekly health camp for farmers in different rural areas of Bangladesh under the "Krishok Shasthyo Sheba" (Farmers' Health Service) programme, a joint venture of "Ridoy-E-Mati-O-Manush" programme of Channel I and the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital. There she was first brought to the attention of Dr Shehrin F Siddique, Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, JBFH. After examining her, she suspected it to be a case of breast carcinoma. Dr. Shehrin F Siddique immediately brought the matter to the notice of Mr. Mahbubul Alam, Director -Administration, JBFH, who was there coordinating the whole programme. In that camp, there was video teleconference facility. Mr. Director called the pioneer cancer specialist in Dhaka, Prof ABMF Karim, who immediately came to JBFH. Dr Shehrin F Siddique along with the patient Fozilot Khatun from Horina, Chandpur talked directly to Prof. ABMF Karim at JBFH, Dhaka through video teleconference. Prof. ABMF Karim gave his valuable opinion in favour of the primary diagnosis, breast carcinoma and advised the patient to be brought to Dhaka immediately for further treatment. But it was impossible for Fozilot Khatun even to go to Chandpur Sadar Hospital, so Dhaka was beyond her dreams. At that time, Dr. Jonaid Shafiq, Chairman, JBFH and the noted media personality and agro-economist, director-Channel I, Shykh Siraz, who were also present in the camp, immediately ordered for necessary arrangement to bring Fozilot Khatun to JBFH, Dhaka.
So, Fozilot Khatun was brought to Dhaka on 16.03.08 and admitted to 'Jibon Kheya,' a special unit for farmers' free indoor treatment under the Farmers Health Service Programme at the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital, Dhaka. There she was examined by Prof ABMF Karim, who confirmed that Fozilot Khatun is suffering from breast cancer. Dr. Hasina Azam, a leading surgeon in cancer surgery also examined the patient as advised by Prof. Karim. They both decided that her present condition is not suitable for surgery and decided to start chemotherapy immediately. It is however a very expensive therapy. As per advice of Prof. ABMF Karim, a team of chemotherapists comprising Dr. Didar, Dr Ferdous and Dr Sharmin started the chemotherapy after all primary investigations. After completion of the first cycle of chemotherapy, Fozilot Khatun would be going home with advice to come to JBFH after 5 days for some investigations and then readmitted on 01.04.08 for further treatment. She will need 4-5 further cycles of therapy and Krishok Shasthyo Sheba programme is committed that they will follow and assist the treatment of Fozilot Khatun till the end. Now she is feeling better. She is getting proper treatment and assistance.
There are millions of Fozilot Khatuns in every corner of Bangladesh and it is the aim of the programme under the Krishok Shastha Sheba and HBFH to find them out and do everything needful for them. In that way, Fazilot Khatun is just a step in advance. The people associated with the programme believe that they should reach the doorstep of every marginal farmer who is in search of medical help, which is beyond their reach. At present, noted agroeconomist and media personality, Director of Channel I, Mr Shykh Siraj, famous pain specialist and Chairman, JBFH, Dr Jonaid Shafiq, leading laparoscopic surgeon and managing director, JBFH, Dr Sarder A Nayeem, and Director, administration, JBFH, Mr Mahbubul Alam Babu are working continuously for establishing a 400-bed hospital for completely free health service only for the terminal farmers of Bangladesh.
Fazilot Khatun had no hope of getting any treatment of her disease. Now she is going home with a smiling face and tears of joy in her eyes. At her departure, she says, "I prayed to Allah for the help and He has sent you." The doctors at the JBFH and the Krishok Shastha Sheba feel that this is their highest reward that through them at least one Fazilot Khatun has found the lightened path of health. Let it be available to all the terminal farmers of our country and lead them to a secured healthy life. This is the only goal of Krishok Shasthyo Sheba (Farmers health Service) programme organised jointly by Ridoy-E-Mati-Manush of Channel I and the Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital.