Contact Person:

Dr. Gazi Mohibor Rehman CEO, Calcutta Rescue

Contact Details:

(9830022631)

NGO Project Report By Jitesh Daga

ABOUT CALCUTTA RESCUES ESTABLISHMENT

In 1979, a British doctor, Jack Preger M.B.E. started a street clinic on Middleton Row to treat the most needy and poorest of the people living in the streets and slums of Kolkata & rural west Bengal. Tourists, who passed by, stopped to help him and when they returned home they set up groups of volunteers in their own country to raise money to support Dr Jacks work which over the years has evolved into Calcutta Rescue. Calcutta Rescue is a non-governmental charitable organisation operating in Kolkata and rural Bengal, providing free medical care, education and development support to the regions poorest and most disadvantaged people irrespective of gender, age, caste or religion.

Healthcare and education are at the core of its activities. Calcutta Rescue provide free treatment for people suffering from a wide range of chronic and acute diseases and conditions, including leukemia, tuberculosis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, HIV / AIDS, malnutrition, wounds, infections and disabilities. They also provide free education to children who lack access to proper education. Today, Calcutta Rescues infrastructure encompasses: Four urban outpatient clinics offering primary healthcare as well as specialist medical programmes. (Tala Park, Belgachia, Chitpur and Sealdah). Rural clinics delivering Preventive health care & treatment for Tuberculosis as part of the Government TB Control Programme. Outreach programmes (mobile clinics, street medicine and health education). Two schools offering and supporting education to over 500 under-privileged children. A safe drinking water programme. A vocational training programme creating sustainable employment. A Fair Trade certified handicrafts workshop in Kolkata and two hand weaving mills in the rural area. Rural and urban tuberculosis treatment centers operating under WHO guidelines of the Direct Observation Treatment Short Course (DOTS) initiative.

STAFF
Calcutta Rescue currently employs approximately 170 staff, operating under the auspices of a supervising Governing Council and Consultative Board. It consists of approximately: 30 Health assistants, 38 General assistants, 17 Teachers, Technical assistants, Store Keepers, Supervisors, Administrators, Project Officers, Health Officers, Accountants, Drivers and Medical Officers. The management comprises of a CEO (Dr. G. M. Rehman), Medical Director and Project Supervisors from our three main project areas: Healthcare, Education and Development. It also benefits from the expertise of western volunteer professionals who come to Kolkata to support our work. Calcutta Rescue is registered under the West Bengal Societies Act 1961 (Registration number S/67495 (91-92), and under the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act (FCRA Registration number: 147120588). There were approximately 35 Volunteers in 2009-2010 from outside India, working as Doctors, Engineers, Teachers, Pharmacists, IT Specialists, Administrator, etc.

ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE NGO

HEALTHCARE
In addition to providing general medical care from its clinics, Calcutta Rescue runs a number of specific medical programmes, working hand in hand with Indian government health programmes as a trusted service provider.

Street medicine
Calcutta Rescues street medicine programme takes the medical and social services beyond our network of clinics and onto the streets. Operating from an ambulance, a team of doctors and paramedics provide primary curative and preventive treatment, with a special emphasis on health education. Patients with

common ailments are referred to Calcutta Rescues clinics or to government facilities.

HIV / AIDS
It operates one of the very few facilities in the country supplying second-line anti-retroviral treatment to HIV patients and the only NGO to support with third-line anti retro-viral. This treatment is life saving for those who have developed resistance to first and second-line treatment. Calcutta Rescues HIV clinic, primarily a treatment clinic, also provides treatment for opportunistic infections when not available elsewhere, vaccination as well as treatment for associated disease conditions like Diabetes or Hypertension. All necessary medical investigations are arranged and funded by Calcutta Rescue at government or private facilities, as appropriate.

Tuberculosis
Calcutta Rescue is working as partners with the Government for Tuberculosis control under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) of the Government Of India following the Directly Observed Treatment-Short-course (DOTs) methodology of the World Health Organisation; in Ward 3 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and in Tamuldah 1 Gram Panchayat in Rural South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal responsible for a population of 57,000 and 29,000 respectively.

Leprosy
Calcutta Rescue provides treatment to between 15 and 20 patients daily from its Chitpur clinic to long-term sufferers from leprosy and its ongoing effects. The services include diagnosis and supportive care for wound care , prevention of disabilities and rehabilitation. Calcutta Rescue also provides treatment for associated disease conditions like heart diseases or diabetes; specialist orthopedic footwear; health education; and other social and nutritional support according to the patients needs.

Disability
The department provides equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, hearing aids and other equipment as well as outsourcing special schooling, speech therapy, psychological counseling, physiotherapy etc. The focus is on improving service to support clients in their own homes in the community, rather than refer clients to residential care. The department networks with other agencies providing services for people with various challenges and have built useful referral opportunities to support community based care. This disability programme assists 120 adults and children with learning, mental, visual, hearing or speaking disabilities.

Mother and Child Health

The programme offers pregnant women and mothers of young children antenatal and postnatal care, immunisations, special feeding for malnourished babies as well as family planning and health education services. If a patient needs surgery or medication, Calcutta Rescue liaises with local hospitals or private clinics to obtain appropriate, high quality treatment, and meets the expenses (sometimes by finding specific sponsorship).

EDUCATION
Many children in Kolkatas slums and on its streets never go to school. When they do, they often lack access to the appropriate conditions material and social to study properly. Without an education these children have little hope of escaping the poverty trap. The schools follow the guidelines for the state literacy programme and cover Hindi, Bengali, English, Mathematics and general knowledge. The classes are divided into two levels of ability: Lower Kindergarten and Upper Kindergarten. Those children who are of the right age and are found academically inclined while their performance is reviewed at our school; are sent on to formal/mainstream schools. Besides; art classes,

sports, dancing and other extracurricular activities are also part of the school activities. Currently, about 400 children are in the formal school programme & receive full support while continuing in the formal private or government schools. Calcutta Rescue covers the costs of books, copies, school uniforms, school bags, extra tuition and travel allowances. The children remain linked to Calcutta Rescue and our teachers continue to monitor their progress. They return to our schools or coaching centres to do their homework, have extra tuition, computer lessons or English Conversation classes. Among other things, it provides all the students with six monthly health screening and preventive & curative medical services, two nutritious meals a day, clothing and transportation support. After schooling (Class XII), the senior students receive career advice and may choose either to work or to study further, both with Calcutta Rescues support.

Boarding Students
Certain childrens home environment is such that they are unable to find space to study in appropriate conditions. Sometimes, after careful monitoring and discussion, the school principal and psychologist recommend placing the student in a boarding school where he or she can study properly. If the parent and child decide to accept this offer, Calcutta Rescue funds the boarding school place. Calcutta Rescue currently has

40 students in boarding schools, with strong demand for further places.

SOURCES OF FUNDS GENERATED

Audited Income 2010/2011

The major source of the funds is International Federation of Support Groups.