Sandhani
Literally means the “Searchers”. This is a unique voluntary welfare organization conducted by the medical and dental students of Bangladesh. After its establishment in 1982, Sandhani Jashore medical college unit quickly endeared itself to all countrymen and has indeed become a model to other benevolent organizations of the same nature. It provides approximately 65% of the blood and about 60 corneas needed in the greater Rangpur division per year.
The activities are entirely voluntary and includes (i) voluntary blood donation supported by its own blood bank, (ii) Collection, preservation and distribution of cornea to the persons with cornea related blindness, (iii) Supply of medicine to the poor and needy patients through drug bank. (iv) Hepatitis B vaccination program, (v) Disaster and relief work participation (vi) General health checkup and (vii) Motivation program on health in schools and colleges and many others.
The most acclaimed part of the activities of these voluntary organizations are motivating general mass and thereby encouraging them to donate blood to the fellow patients for serving lives, cornea posthumously to help a blind person to see and even donate body posthumously to aid in scientific research and teaching in relevant fields (including organ transplant). This non-political organization has received Commonwealth Youth Service Award ’95, Sadhinota Podok ’04 and many other awards for its unique contribution in the field of health and social welfare.
OVERVIEW :
SANDHANI has been a name in Bangladesh for quite good a time that has rendered hope in the minds of distressed people. Its prime function is related to creating awareness among the general population about safe blood transfusion. SANDHANI collects blood from the generally healthy population group, banks them and then distributes them to the distressed. Among our recipients, the ill-clad and ill-fed from a major portions.
HISTORY OF SANDHANI:
In the premises of Dhaka medical College, Sandhani was born in 1977. It was a rather interesting beginning by a few students of the college who were trying to help out a friend who had trouble affording the day’s breakfast. As the friend was pulled through his tough time, the group realized that their effort could do wonders in the lives of many. And so Sandhani was born.
The responsibility of human welfare that has been imparted on us as students has been turned into as obligation by the fact that we are medical students. This realization and the knowledge of the situation at the hospitals caused the issue of blood transfusion to be made the sole interest of the newborn organization. They soon organized a few blood collection programs. The students of the organization and few others donated blood in the programs. This was the introduction of voluntary blood donation in Bangladesh.
As the organization grew older, subjects like “Free Friday Clinics’, ‘Free Dental Checkup’ and volunteer work in national disasters were included among other activities.
N.B.: We are now in Under consideration to the opening of new unit.
ACTIVITIES OF SANDHANI:
- Voluntary Blood Donation
- Free Medicine Distribution
- Posthumous Eye Donation
- Free Health Camp
- Relief in Natural Disastrous
To Get Blood:
- By showing the donor-card of the voluntary donor (while using the donor-card, the donor should be present)
- By exchanging same amount of blood
- Any person in case of emergency
To Get Medicine:
- The patient must unable to buy the medicines.
- The patient must be admitted in the hospital
- If the outdoor patients of the hospital are unable to buy the medicine
To Get Cornea (Recently Unable in This Unit):
- Any blind person having corneal opacity is eligible to get cornea.
- The person should be enlisted to Sandhani or National Eye Donation Society with a prescription from an Eye Specialist.
- Cornea transplantation is arranged accordingly from the list of probable cornea recipient as service charge 500/- (Five hundred taka only) is received which is free for very poor patient