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| Calcutta Rescue |
| Our work > India > Calcutta Rescue |
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Calcutta Rescue (CR). Project completed.
TB Alert is not currently funding this project but remains interested in their work and open to new ways of working together.
Calcutta Rescue is a non-governmental organisation operating in Calcutta and rural West Bengal, registered under the West Bengal Societies Act 1961. It was founded by Jack Preger in 1979 as a pavement clinic, and aims to provide free medical care and other benefits to the destitute and socially disadvantaged of these areas regardless of sex, age, caste or religion. The organisation now has 4 clinics and an outreach programme. They also run 3 schools and 2 vocational training centres which teach the rudiments of weaving. The organisation now has a number of support groups throughout Europe, Canada and Australia, which raise funds and provide volunteers to cover roles that are difficult to recruit in West Bengal such as podiatrists and nurses. They work together with 150 Bengali staff to provide primary health care, education and vocational training. |
Jack Preger in the slums of Calcutta |
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TB has always presented a significant threat to CR's patients. Incidence of TB is rising, and the spread of HIV/AIDS will mean that increasing numbers of people are exposed to the disease. The stigma attached to TB, and HIV/AIDS means that many patients are unwilling to be tested or put off going for testing, thus remaining infectious for longer, and giving the disease longer to develop.
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CR has a long history of treating TB patients in slum areas of Calcutta, and due to the success of these activities , the local government invited them to participate in setting up TB treatment centres in rural areas under the Rural DOTS programme, and it was agreed that the first priority area is Tamuldah 1gram panchayat, district 24 parganas (south) West Bengal. This is a large district of Calcutta extending through the Sunderbans Forest Reserve area and to the sea. Calcutta Rescue's positive relationship with the Tamuldah panchayat, and links to the local community through its vocational training centre there means that it is trusted within the area and so could gain access to the local community thus implementing the RNTCP effectively.
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Taldi, nearest town and railhead from Tamuldah 1 |
This area is isolated and many cannot access medical treatment from Government hospitals - it can sometimes take days to reach medical care and assistance, meaning that their condition goes untreated for a long time. Private practitioners are few as people are so poor. Most people living in the area are farm labourers, weavers and general labourers and therefore cannot afford to lose a day or two’s income traveling to a clinic or hospital in Calcutta. |
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With TB Alert's help, Calcutta Rescue set up a DOTS centre with smaller outlets for easy accessibility, and teams visiting areas to collect sputum samples and take them to laboratories up to 15km away. CR put into place simple systems such as the reduction of distance between patients' place of residence and the drug distribution point and sputum collection at locations near patient residences. This is aimed at countering the difficulties that had been faced in treating rural TB patients who had previously had to make the long journey into Calcutta for treatment - leading to a high default rate and the spread of multi drug resistance. |
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This project aims to reduce incidence of Tuberculosis and reduce transmission of this disease in Tamuldah G.P.-I, 24 Parganas (South) West Bengal, India, by providing treatment for TB as well as generating awareness about this disease. The population of this area is 24000 approx. As well as treating those already infected by the disease, Calcutta Rescue prevents cases by reducing the length of time that patients remain infectious. This is done through ensuring early screening and treatment through spreading awareness of symptoms via local health workers and sputum collectors - thus creating strong links between the local community/beneficiaries and the programme.
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