IMA Behala Branch was alloted a plot of land for Charitable Clinic & Office way back in 1974-1975 at Behala Chourasta. The then Chairman of South Suburban Municipality, Sri. Manick Chatterjee even laid the foundation stone of IMA Behala Branch Building at the site. But due to some unknown reasons IMA ultimately did not receive the land.
A long period of struggle for 9 years continued. We are really grateful to Late Sri Samar Roychoudhury, the then Chairman of South Suburban Municipality and Late Sri. Rabin Mukherjee, the then Transport Minister by whose patronage IMA Behala Branch received this plot of land from Govt. Of West Bengal for IMA Outdoor Charitable Clinic & Vaccination Centre and IMA Behala Branch Office way back in 1984. It must be mentioned that Dr. Sunil Kumar Nag, the then Hon. Secretary of IMA Behala Branch played a pivotal role for the procurement of this land.
28 years have passed bye, the Outdoor Charitable Clinic and Vaccination Centre observed its SILVER JUBILEE YEAR in 2009. What our predecessors started in a "Thached Hut" is today an elegant building, the lighthouse of medical power in Behala.
It must also be stressed that the clinic building was built with donation from Well Wishers, Member Doctors, Pharmaceutical Houses, Hospitals & Diagnostic Centres. We did not receive any financial help from any local councillors, MLA or MP during our days of struggle as few believe. The only person who helped us during this period was Sri. Subrata Mukhopadhyay, Hon'ble Mayor, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (2001-2005) who by the power of his chair quashed all hurdles from KMC and cleared the project. Thank you Sir!
Today also we run this clinic from funds of IMA Behala Branch and with donation from Well Wishers, Member Doctors, Pharmaceutical Houses, Hospitals & Diagnostic Centres.only.
The Department of Health, Govt. of West Bengal which initially recognised our activity and used to supply vaccines free of cost have withdrawn its supply recently on flimsy grounds.
It must be stressed that the clinic is run by 40 doctors of IMA Behala Branch who attends this clinic in rotation throughour the year. They not only examine patients but serve the full prescription with medicine prescribed free of any charges. We salute their devotion. We are proud that Dr. Prabodh Kumar Banerjee and Dr. Sushil Kumar Bhattacharyya are the two Doctors who have served this clinic continuously since last 25 years.
Although Kolkata Municipal Corporation has withdrawn its vaccine supply after Anandabazar Patrika (6th February 2009 by Parijat Bandyopadhyay) carried out defamation stories about our clinic, the only IMA clinic in Kolkata carrying out such service free of charges, still today we are continuing vaccination services from our clinic at our own cost.
The clinic runs from Monday to Friday It starts with registration of patients at 3.45-4.30pm @ Rs. 2.00 only and then from 4.45pm onwards our Doctors take care of the patients till the end. Vaccination is given every Tuesdays at the same time. Two special clinic runs 1. Skin (On Mondays) 2. Child (On Tuesdays).
Annually we serve around 7000 patients on an average and today our clinic is blessed by the downtrodden section of the society.
The timing of the clinic was fixed by our predecessors with some brilliant ideas to serve the downtrodden section of our society:
"During this time the outdoor of Govt. Hospitals does not function; Those who work as domestic help, rickshawpullers and hawkers get time to attend this clinic between their morning & evening daily activities; Our Doctors who serve the clinic are free between their morning and evening chambers; IMA Office also runs during this time parallely"
THE REWARD FOR OUR WORK
Sri. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, Hon'ble Mayor, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (2005-2010) turns down IMA's appeal & slaps a annual building tax of Rs. 21,193.00 on an institutional building doing charitable work. Thank You Sir!
