Falling sick is the worst thing that can happen to a person and when it’s the poor or the underserved sections of the society, things are even worse. For the needy, private health-care is often out of reach and unaffordable! The public healthcare system also doesn’t bear the costs of expensive medicines and supplies. Not only does it push poor people to descend into poverty on falling sick but also increases the chances of casualty. Under such a situation, the ILA trust steps forward to help poor people get treatment by offering healthcare at no cost. Ila trust has treated a number of patients and has been established to help the needy. Treating the illness at an early stage is the main aim of the trust so that future bad outcomes can be avoided.
Ila trust was founded by Reeta Devi who has also worked with Mother Teresa at the age of 16. With Suhel Seth– a renowned columnist and speaker as its chairman, it was established on 26th October 1944. The trust mushroomed to initiate its own ambulance service in Guwahati along with a team of doctors, nurses, and technicians one year post its establishment. This was followed by the establishment of a hospice for AIDS and AIDS-related diseases in Guwahati. In 1977, the trust expanded to work in all spheres related to health care and a hospice was set up in Boro Tribal Village. It was in the year 2003 that the first mobile clinic of Ila trust came into being in Delhi with two doctors and a nurse as its team. The second one was set up in March 2007 with the help of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the third one in 2012. The clinics have been instrumental in helping out people, especially in slum areas of Delhi where it’s not possible to afford basic health care. All the clinics are dedicated to the Missionaries of Charity and Mother Teresa.
What Does the Trust Do?
The key activity of Ila trust is to offer free medicines and health-checkups. Besides that, below-mentioned are some other activities that the trust is involved in:
•Distributes bread and eggs to migrant laborers in Chawri Bazar
•Treatment of tuberculosis
•Blood tests performed via external labs at the expense of the Trust
•Awareness on hygiene, birth control, and childcare etc.
•Treatment for HIV with the help of ART drugs and supplement medicine
•Water bottle distribution
•Condom distribution whenever required
•Distribution of biscuits to children
•Distribution of blankets and clothes to the needy
•Sanitary pads distribution when required
•Distribution of protein powder and soya nuggets to malnourished people
•Distribution of shampoos and soaps
Thanks to the key people- Reeta Devi and Suhel Seth, the trust is doing a commendable job in serving the vulnerable and underserved sections of the society.
