Taxi Driver lends his privately owned hospital to fight Coronavirus in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas
Kolkata/UNI A taxi driver has lent his privately owned hospital, built from his savings and donations in the memory of his sister, to the state government for using as a quarantine facility for the people suspected with coronavirus infection at Bauripur in South 24 Parganas district.
Sahidul Laskar was forced to leave college due to poverty. The 45-year-old took up taxi driving in the early 90s to support his younger sister's education. But, unfortunately, Marufa died of sickness in 2004 despite Sahidul's best attempt to get her cured in different hospitals.
After his sister's untimely demise, bereaved Sahidul began saving from his taxi driving income and collecting money through donations to build a hospital near his home at Puri village in Bauripur, dedicated to the treatment of the poor people.
The hospital, which is partially operational, is named after his sister Marufa. The second floor of the hospital is still under construction.
As coronavirus began infecting a larger population, Sahidul contacted local Block Development Officer(BDO) Mosaraf Hossain and offered to lend his hospital for using as a quarantine camp for Covid-19. After inspecting the hospital, the BDO found it clean and safe and recommended the health department for converting it to a quarantine centre for now.
The hospital could be converted to a 40/50 bedded quarantine centre, the BDO said.
Sahidul Laskar, one of the invitees in the Prime Minster's Man Ki Baat's 50th episode, now lives in the hospital premises along with his wife and son.
When asked where he would live, after his hospital is converted to a quarantine facility, Sahidul said " My thoughts are now only with the coronavirus patients and how to save them from the deadly virus."
He said he was sure the BDO would arrange for his stay at some place on the earth and that would be enough.
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