The camp was set up in association with Indian Doctors Club, Qatar Chapter, and Aster Qatar Medical Centre group, and was supported by Tamizar Sangam Qatar (TSQ), an affiliated socio-cultural organisation of ICC.
From providing free medical consultation and investigation, to free medicine, the camp benefitted around 300 workers of various nationalities belonging to the low-income group.
Arvind Patil, President, ICBF, told Community, “This camp is a good avenue for bachelor workers who can’t afford medical facilities at private hospitals. In our camps, yoga, medicine and health talks are combined together.
"The workers who attended are from labour camps of the Industrial area. It was not just Indians that attended the camp but also labourers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Pakistan. We, of course, don’t look at nationalities; this camp is for a humanitarian cause.”
During a two-week course by visiting various labour camps at the Industrial area, pre-registration of workers was done by ICBF and TSQ. In addition to this, there was a spot registration available for those who visited the camp directly on the day.
A team of 15 general physicians along with specialist doctors, such as orthopaedic, oral hygiene, physiotherapy and dermatology, were in action. A team of 12 paramedical staff from Aster and Al Abeer Medical Centre put in their service as well.
Wellcare Group provided the pharmacy support and free medicines for the medical camp. The highlight of the camp perhaps was Yoga in Doha group conducting yoga sessions for the workers.
To make their Friday better, Tamizar Sangham Qatar supplied refreshments to all the workers and provided voluntary support along with ICBF committee members.
The medical camp was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora. Other dignitaries present were R K Singh, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India and ICBF coordinating officer; Dr Sameer Moopan, Managing Director of Aster; Dr Nazeem Shamsuddin, Head of Operations at Al Abeer; Franscesa, Solidarity International; Kareem Abdulla, past president of ICBF; Nilangshu Dey, also a past president of ICBF; Ashraf, Managing Director Welcare; Arvind Patil, president of ICBF; and Senthil Kumar of TSQ. Indian Embassy Labour section employees were present at the location to take note of the worker’s problems and responded to the many queries of the workers.
Ambassador Arora interacted with all the doctors and the medical staff present, apart from enquiring the workers about any problems they faced and asking them to approach the embassy for further assistance.
Kumar also spent time with student volunteers, taking their suggestions for the medical camp and asking them to directly communicate with him their suggestions.
Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), since 1984, is an organisation under the aegis of Embassy of India in Qatar that voluntarily undertakes the task of providing assistance to the needy and under-privileged members of the Indian expat community in Qatar and also their families in India.
ICBF helps those who are stranded or are in distress. This includes those at the deportation centre, those who have served their sentences in jail for offences in Qatar, people who are in need of medical treatment for life-threatening diseases, those experiencing difficulties in obtaining legal advice and support.
From providing food and ration to stranded labourers to consulting free medical camps on a regular basis, ICBF helps the community in several ways.