Healing touch

At a time when the state government is facing a funds crunch to provide proper health care to the poor who neither can afford the expensive blood tests needed to diagnose a disease nor pay for the costly medicines after being diagnosed...

People who cannot afford to get their medical investigation done, go to Dilip Dey, a laboratory technician, who is always eager to help. Madhuparna Das meets the social worker

At a time when the state government is facing a funds crunch to provide proper health care to the poor who neither can afford the expensive blood tests needed to diagnose a disease nor pay for the costly medicines after being diagnosed, Dilip Dey, a laboratory technician, has come forward to offer a little respite to the lower-income group of the city by offering to test blood samples of the needy free of cost.

“Several vector-borne diseases are playing havoc in the city and leaving poor people utterly distressed due to the poor health facilities in the state. They are the worst hit in the crisis. I only try to help them out,” said Dey.

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Dey, a pathologist by profession, runs a diagnostic centre called Nirnoy on Ramgarh Road. Not only blood tests but other medical investigation, including X-rays and ultra-sonography, are performed either free of cost or at a very low price for the poor at Nirnoy.

Dey is frequently contacted by several civic bodies of the state, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, for setting up camps in various places and rural areas.

“Last year I set up camps in villages of Geonkhali, Bakkhali, Gosaba and Basanti near Sunderbans. Almost every year I am called by several other municipalities for conducting blood tests. I am also attached to an NGO that set up camps in villages during an outbreak. A medical team comprises 10-12 doctors, some nurses and a pathologist,” said Dey.

“I neither ask for money nor the cost of materials needed to conduct the tests. But by helping the needy, I feel very happy,” said Dey.

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The diagnostic centre is visited by patients from far-flung areas for this unique quality of Dey.

“People come from Hooghly, Howrah and Bakkhali. I never disappoint them. I always try to do whatever I can for them. Sometimes some people offer me Rs 100 for a test costing Rs 800. If I feel that the person cannot afford that amount, I accept the Rs 100 note only,” said Dey.

A social worker by nature, Dey from his very childhood used to collect funds for the sick who did not have money for their treatment or for a poor girl whose marriage was put on hold as her parents could not afford it.

“I was often chided by my family members for this. Sometimes I was bashed up by the elder members of my family. But I cannot see any helpless people around,” said Dey.

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“If you find any person who cannot afford to carry out medical investigation and for that cannot be treated by a doctor, send him to me. I will do it free of cost. And if any further help is needed, I will try my level best to do so,” says Dey with a smile on his lips.