How a start-up from Kolkata saved the life of a leukemia patient from Bangladesh
Kolkata: Twenty-seven-year-old Rima Begum, a resident of Chittagong, Bangladesh, was diagnosed with Leukemia (blood cancer)almost a year back. Rima had lost all hope to have her bone marrow transplant done, as advised by doctors in Bangladesh.
“Lack of resources was the primary reason. We didn’t have enough funds to have the life-saving treatment done for Rima, my wife,” recounts Shafiqul Islam. He goes on to add, “I was devastated, when I got to know that my wife had Leukemia and we needed to do a bone marrow transplant. We decided to have to come over to Kolkata for the treatment. But we were clueless about how to go about with making arrangements for the medical treatment.”
Despite all odds, they began looking up for healthcare facilitators who could help them with the correct treatment. It was then that they came across GlobalMedin India Healthcare Private Company, which helps Bangladeshi citizens in getting healthcare facilities in India.
“We immediately contacted the officials of MedInIndia, who were very approachable.When we told about our financial crisis, the partners of the company helped us avail the best medical treatment, logistics and medication. They not only raised funds to support my wife undergo the Bone Marrow Transplant but also guided us in the best possible way, right through the five months we spent in Kolkata,” mentioned Islam.
Talking about the same case, Rubayat Kadir, Managing Director, MedInIndia says, “We realized that they needed immediate help to save Rima. And to be honest, we were just a few months old when we Shafiqul approached us. We as a company are committed to help those who need medical help in India. So, when they approached us, with their case, we initiated a crowdfunding campaign, for which people from Bangladesh and India contributed 50 percent of the total amount needed for the treatment of Rima at AMRI, Kolkata. For the remaining 50 percent of the expenditure, MedInIndia came forward to their help. We had her BMT doneby Dr Joydeep Chakrabartty, a top haemato-oncologist and Bone Marrow Transplant expert.”
Needless to say, Rima remains grateful to her saviors. “We have had to stay in Kolkata for five months for the complete treatment. The company, not just helped us get appointments, meet doctors, get tests done or get medicines at a discounted price. They even helped us rent an apartment, where we could stay for the stipulated period, as I recuperated after having successfully undergone Bone Marrow Transplant at AMRI,” said Rima, who is now back in Chittagong, hale and hearty.
