Shirya Bhatt Mission Hospital

National Integration and Economic Council (NICE) gave away the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Shromani Awards in a glittering function held in India International Center, New Delhi on 24^th August. Since Dr, K L Chowdhury is away on a private visit to USA the award was received, on his behalf, by Shri Virji Bhat, Secretary Shriya Bhatt Mission Hospital and Research Center.

The Award which includes a trophy, a memento and certificate was presented by Minister of State for Planning Government of India, M V Rajasekharan.

The award is in recognition of Dr. Chowdhury’s contribution in diverse fields as a doctor, medical teacher and researcher, author, social activist, and human rights crusader but mainly for the pioneering work, by him and his team of dedicated social activists of the Shriya Bhatt Mission Hospital and Research Center, in addressing the problems of Health Trauma of Kashmiris displaced from the valley of Kashmir in the wake of terrorism.

What started, 17 years back, as a polyclinic in Jammu for the displaced Pandits, evolved into a charitable medical institution, first of its kind, which runs many health projects and medical camps for the poor patients irrespective of caste, creed, region or religion? The center now draws patients even from the valley and other far flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir. It provides free consultation, besides conducting limited investigations and providing free medicines to all the patients. Till date the hospital has examined more than 38 thousand patients, conducted 52 medical camps, undertaken 6 health surveys, and performed vaccination against Hepatitis B in three refugee camps of Kashmiris in Jammu. A Child Nutrition Programme for 200 children of Bhattal Bhaalian refugee camp, Udhampur, has been started this year. The findings of research, on the whole gamut of health trauma that have impacted the displaced population, has been presented in national and international conferences and published in various journals. Besides, Dr Chowdhury has three published books of poetry and numerous articles on medical, cultural, political and social themes to his credit.

When contacted on the phone, Dr. Chowdhury thanked NICE for the award and said it was an award for the self belief of the displaced Kashmiris, for the hard work and selfless dedication of his team in their endeavor to fight discrimination, disease and injustice, and for so many well wishers whose moral support and encouragement keeps him going.

Shirya Bhatt Mission Hospital and Research Center (SBMH & RC)

Mission statement

- to provide a multi-service medical facility to the terrorism-driven people from the Kashmir valley, now living a life of refugees in Jammu and its suburbs for the last 15 years,

- to provide state-of-art medical techniques - diagnostic and therapeutic - in a comfortable and caring environment attuned to the special needs of these patients,

- to render compassionate care with the help of dedicated professionals and personnel who pack their work with tenderness, skill and expertise so that the care we provide to the patients is the same level of care we, ourselves, would expect to receive,

- to create awareness, in the medical fraternity worldwide, of the multifold, acute and chronic, physical and mental health syndromes that manifest in a population of refugees and internally displaced people, and

- by providing this facility, to make the community worldwide feel that the displaced Kashmiris can take the challenge of the rehabilitation of their members who were brutally ousted from the land of their ancestors and pushed to the edge of survival while living as refugees in their own land.

Message from Dr. K L Chowdhury - In organising this third Hepatitis-B vaccination camp we are taking yet another small step towards the amelioration of suffering and pain of the most indigent and needy members of the IDP from Kashmir, now living as refugees in their own country.

There could not have been a better occasion than the martyr’s day for this noble task. When our martyr’s laid their precious lives for the cause of the secular and democratic ideals of India, they blazed a trail for us to follow their footsteps and come out of our shells to lend a helping hand when it is needed most. This is the time to give back to those who have reposed their trust on us.

Let us rise and repay that trust in full measure.

I send my best wishes to the dedicated team of the mission who are giving of your precious time and energy, as well as to those who are the recipients of this preventive health measure.

Our motto will always be ‘ Joy in Service’ .

We will announce more schemes for the patients in the near future and there will be a camp every time we have to commemorate events that have a bearing on the future of the displaced population of Kashmiris in general and the Pandits in particular, and of Jammu and Kashmir.

The staff of the Shirya Bhatt Mission Hospital in Jammu/Kashmir

Le Docteur Kundan Lal Chowdhury

The staff of the Shirya Bhatt Mission Hospital in Jammu/Kashmir

Patients of the Shirya Bhatt Mission Hospital in Jammu/Kashmir