<i>Lifebuoy Hospital brings new life on Jamuna shoals</i>
Doctors of Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital, now stationed at Khatiyamari shoal in Fulchhari upazila in Gaibandha, crowded by treatment-seeking people.Photo: STAR
Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital, rendering free medical services to the poor and under-privileged people in remote shoal areas on Jamuna basin since 2002, has become synonymous with sincere and efficient service for the suffering humanity. The floating hospital, now stationed at Khatiyamari shoal in Fulchhari upazila in Gaibandha district, treats a good number of patients from shoal areas along Jamuna basin in Gaibandha and Kurigram districts and other far-flung areas. In addition to providing free medical treatment for six lakh people since 2002, doctors operated upon 2,505 patients for different critical problems including those for eye, teeth, cleft lip, and bones and paediatric and general surgery. Yves Marre, a French sailor, who in 1994 came to Bangladesh with a 380-tonne oil tanker, converted it into a floating hospital in 1998 with the aim to reach medical treatment to the inaccessible areas and help underserved, under privileged and neglected people of the society. With sponsorship of Unilever Bangladesh Ltd, the hospital was named Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital in 2002, started providing medical service for destitute people in shoal areas on Jamuna basin. Dr Jone of French, who led a four-member specialised surgical teams conducting a camp since March 21 said everyday they operated upon 40 patients with different problems. The floating hospital will stay at Khatiyamari shoal in Fulchhari upazila in Gaibandha district for two and a half months. They have shifted to 22 different shoals since 2002. Rafiquzzaman Pallab, project coordinator field office of the floating hospital, said with increasing number of patients, they are now facing problem to meet their requirement.
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