The dengue fever, typhoid, and malaria, which have become endemic in Shaheen Nagar in the Old City, have caused a daily spike in cases. In the last 30 days, a mosque clinic in Shaheen Nagar has treated 569 children suffering from vector-borne diseases from 20 slum areas.
According to a survey conducted by the mosque clinic, 51% of the total typhoid cases, 22% dengue fever cases, and 2% malaria cases were reported in a cluster of 20 slum areas in the Shaheen Nagar catchment area. At the same time, 15% of typhoid and 11% of dengue cases were also reported in the Rajendra Nagar slum area and the Hasanagar catchment area in Old Hyderabad.
The Helping Hand Foundation manages the mosque clinic in collaboration with SEED, a US-based NGO, and American Muslim Physicians of Indian Origin (AMPI).
In the past month, the mosque clinic has provided free health services to people living in around 20 slum areas spread across Shaheen Nagar, Hasanagar, Rajendranagar, and Achi Reddy Nagar.
Mutjaba Hasan, the managing trustee of HHP, said that the high rate of increase in infectious diseases was caused by poor sanitation, overflowing waterways, unclean garbage, and frequent inundation due to heavy inundation rains.
He added that almost all cases require IV injections within 5 to 7 days, and beds for typhoid patients have also been upgraded, where beds are placed in available rooms in the mosque.
The in-laboratory facilities in the mosque clinic are also beneficial in providing free tests for typhoid and dengue fever sufferers in a shorter time to help start treatment on time.
He said that nearly 60% of positive cases of dengue were hospitalized at OGH and Niloufer hospitals. As many as 15 patients had to be treated in a private hospital, with the cost of hospitalization borne by the NGO.
It is known that every typhoid patient will spend a minimum of Rs for medicines, laboratory tests, and consultations. Whereas dengue fever costs around Rs 2000 for tests and medicines.
By providing free tests and treatment, the mosque clinic has helped the poor save more than Rs 20 lakh on their own.
