Bantra St. Thomas' Home Welfare Society

About BSTHWS

Bantra St. Thomas' Home Welfare Society (BSTHWS) is a specialist resource center for Tuberculosis working since 1976 to facilitate medical treatment of people with Tuberculosis disease and promote all round development of Tuberculosis patients. BSTHWS is working under the guide line of India's “National Tuberculosis Elimination Progrmme'

BSTHWS offers multifaceted services to infants, children and adults especially women with Tuberculosis and a range of specific programmes.

BSTHWS has been recognized-

In 2015 German consulate appreciated the work of BSTHWS as an excellent service in the field of tuberculosis treatment and care.
In 2021 BSTHWS got appreciation from State Govt. as a best organization medal of honor in Pandemic situation.
In 2021 Howrah district was selected for the best of cure rate of TB patient's and received the gold medal. For that Govt. officials congratulated BSTHWS for their contribution.
In 2022 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India acknowledged BSTHWS and registered as a Ni-Kshay Mitra under the 'Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan' to provide support to Persons with TB undergoing treatment.

Historical Development

The initial history of Bantra St. Thomas' Home Welfare Society is a silent story claiming that God's special plan came to the present existence that incubated a deep feeling and desire in the mind of the young British lady Joan Evans. She was so much engrossed with the generous desire to serve the people with her nursing skills that literally moved her and took immediate decision to accept the challenge of voyage for long days and was possible after leaving her home and families and finally she landed in Purulia district.

Initially she worked for a period of time with great honor in the Leprosy Mission. In due course of time, she was directed and guided by the spirit of savior Lord and ultimately reached the destination place. She was very much spiritual and God-fearing and saw a vision to serve the needy and downtrodden people of Bantra and adjacent areas of Howrah Hospitals. She personally took interest and visited people door to door and realized the people, especially married women suffered due to malnutrition and a good number of populations had TB positive disease. She helped people by distributing medicines and taking them to Howrah General Hospital. She understood the women patients needed to some extent 24 hours medical service for availing proper treatment for combating the TB disease. Therefore, she didn't waste time and urgently met Bishop of Calcutta Rt. Rev. Amritanand and requested to arrange some accommodation to begin work for women TB patients. Her dedication and commitment inspired Bishop and for a very short period of time he organized funds and made a simple single floor construction with arrangement of basic amenities. All her endeavors were shaped in a stage of starting work officially in 1976 and inaugurated on 17th November at present main building ground floor.

There were very few helping hand people associated and played a multi task role for providing medical services to 12 to 15 beds. The blessing of God was always with her and overcame all difficulties and struggles with a positive mind and many people understood her mission and cooperated with her journey. Sister Basanti was GNM and voluntarily helped after her regular day duty. The sweet and agile behavior of Sister Joan always attracted people to support her in different ways. Local Dr. Ghosh MBBS, checked TB patients and provided some medicines free of cost. Very good relationship was built-up with District TB officials and in some critical cases she admitted patients in the Howrah General Hospital. Her dedication and compassionate heart, earned a lot of respect from Local community people. Year 1980 1st May Miss. Monika Naik joined after her para-medical training and looked after TB patients 24 hours including taking them in Howrah Hospital or local specialist for better consultation and treatment for critical cases. Mrs. Padma Mitra and her husband joined their hand and became the first couple to work as Secretary and Administrator respectively and began the new era and still now continued the same system for functioning and flourishing with the demand of the area. Miss Naik got married and left the STH but she felt burdened and miraculously rejoined on 1^st May 1996.

In 1988 Sister Joan Evans came to visit STH and was satisfied after observing the more coverage of patients. Bishop Dinesh Chandra Gorai, Diocese of Calcutta took interview and appointed Mrs. Monika Naik and Mr. Raghab Naik as Secretary and Administrator positions respectively and they started work vigorously with full enthusiasm. As the work went ahead the other organizations involved in the same area started networking with STH and referring their Tuberculosis patients for better treatment. Howrah South Point used to send some patients for indoor services. The workload and services were managed steadily and focused on the involvement of local volunteers and well-wishers shouldering some responsibilities. The Local chest specialist Dr. Manas Kr. Das provided the voluntary services with a tender heart for checking and administering medicines and also invested his valuable time in frequent visiting critical cases at home. Dr. Mitra MBBS also extended his helping hand and always very prompt for attending patients of St Thomas’ Home.

In 2000 Dr. Tobias Vogt visited BSTHWS and started referring patients with tuberculosis. This way a number of patents were referred and ultimately the German Doctors e.V. took over the project for treatment of tuberculosis patients and new construction of 1^st floor completed with all amenities and provision of 42 beds were arranged. BSTHWS run and managed by Calcutta Diocesan Trust Association (Private) under Diocese of Calcutta- Church of North India. As the work continued with full swing the other departments came into existence.

Many innovative programmes were adopted and strife towards obtaining and achieving evolved goals in respect of our countries Revised National Tuberculosis Programme. There were some spectacular landmark accounted

1976	Indoor Patient Department for female patients with tuberculosis.
2004	Out Patient Department
2005	Direct Observation Treatment (DOT) centers at BSTHWS, Pilkhana slum, Tikiapara slum, Shivpur Chawra Bastee (Lichu Bagan, Shalimar, Bankra), PM Bastee.
2005	Public and Private Mix programme under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.
2007	Govt. recognized BSTWS to run as Peripheral Health Institute (PHI) for Microscopy Sputum Laboratory and Treatment center.
2008	X-Ray machine introduced for ensuring the suspected Tuberculosis patients.
2008	Immunization Programme for children and general check-up of common people in BSTHWS and slum areas then to Brickfield areas.
2010	Social Help Project provides Seed money for self-employment e.g. Educational support- medicine bill reimbursement and one-time financial support during discharge of patients 1000/-.
2012	Male patients with tuberculosis indoor services at Howrah TB Hospital near Botanical Garden.
2017	Pro-interplast OT case for surgery for poor extra pulmonary and some general patients in Private and Govt. Hospitals.
2017	Nikshay TB Notification of Central Govt. online scheme. Enrolling TB patients with important treatment related data and providing 500/- money to their own bank account for food support purposes and for 6 months duration of treatment.
2020	Ration and nutritious food programme under Projekt – 36 to marginalized, senior citizens and poor people.
2022	Health Department of State Government donated Microscopy and True Nat machine for testing a greater number of patients as some slum areas tuberculosis is epidemic.
2022	Nikshay Mitra- Central Govt. registration with help of District Tuberculosis Officer and the distribution started to patients as nutritional support of 30 Eggs with 5 kg Rice provided Under Howrah Municipal Corporation Dumurjala TU areas.

Impact of Services

In door patients went for a picnic in Jan 2023.	Indoor patients were enjoying in communicating each other in the evening. .
Archana completed the vocational training during her tuberculosis treatment and donated a shewing machine for her income generation programme, and Secretary Mrs. Monika Naik encourages her	Indoor patient was given walker for her mobility after completion her tuberculosis treatment in presence of BSTHWS's Secretary Mrs. Monika Naik.

Community and Local level: Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys, or the spine. A person with TB can die if they do not get proper treatment. In a condition such as this qualitative change is most important, not just in the person with tuberculosis, but in their family and community. For example, after the Public Private Mixing project an excellent environment developed with the extra medical practitioners and physicians, diagnostic centres, four DOT centres and Tuberculosis Units and Govt. Hospitals around the BSTHWS community and on an average yearly 500 new tuberculosis patients come forward to seek help for a long-time treatment in OPD and overcome the conditions of disability. Many other sick people from the surrounding urban slums come to our OPD to get help.

DOT centers in four different locations in the urban slums of Howrah. Patients who have been newly diagnosed as having tuberculosis can immediately start their treatment in one of our local centers which are usually nearer to their house than St. Thomas Home. These centers hold a license under National Tuberculosis Eradication Programme (NTEP) and care for more than 200 tuberculosis patients at any given day.

In the Out Patient Department, on and average yearly 500 new tuberculosis patients are provided regular treatment. About 80% successfully complete the treatment.5 days a week general clinic for local community people with facilities of blood and medical tests. In the 2022 financial year 3212 general patients were served.
All tuberculosis patients are registered under the guideline of Nischay Mitra scheme for financial help of Rs.500/- pm for a certain period of 6 months treatment.
Under the Private Public Mixture project more than 20 physicians and 120 other medical practitioners have established good networking and regular basis referring suspected Tuberculosis patients to BSTHWS, and in last year it was about 1600.
The outreach programme for preventive majors' health care initiatives is continuing in 21 brickfields on both sides of Hoogly river Shibpur to Sankarail and Akra to Budgebudge belt daily cover 100+ children.
Specialist Field workers from BSTHWS have been trained and promote the awareness programme on Tuberculosis indigenously.

Linkages with agencies, community centres and hospitals:

On a top priority basis very, good relationships are maintained for further treatment of complicated cases on a regular basis refer to P.G. Hospital, Medical College, Howrah General Hospital, R. G. Kar Hospital and private hospitals and nursing homes. Moreover, stress is given involving all CBOs for supporting each other to work in collaboration and a team to eradicate the tuberculosis disease.

Empowerment:

Since its inception in 1976, the target was not only to provide medical care to tuberculosis patients but also to develop other areas to make life more meaningful through literacy, vocational and professional training, socializations and in some cases also extend support to their children in the area of education and health. About 100 indoor patients a year are provided these facilities as per their physiological conditions. 50 ANM nursing training provided free of cost from the Govt. registered centre and they are all now involved in the medical field. Three patients got civil engineering training, 2 carpentry and 33 on wool knitting and tailoring. 50 Children of patients provided regular school education in hostel and days scholar basis and now some of them completed college level. A year targeted 260 patients are provided 5 kg. rice and 30 pieces of eggs for a month. 70 marginalized people who are senior citizens, special needs and poor provided monthly 1400/- rupees supplementary and nutritional foods. Conveyance and other purposes pocket money of 1000/- are provided to 100 patients a year. On regular yearly activities 400 blankets and mosquito nets were distributed to patients in 2022.

All patients and their family members and their neighbours and community people are provided free sputum sample and x-ray tests at least within 6 months or before due to emergency purposes to avoid the relapse case.

State level:

Sincerely working in Howrah urban slums areas through 4 Direct Observation Treatment Centers (DOT) the services extended to panchayat places of Howrah dist. and neighbouring dist. Senior staff looked after the needs of patients suffering from tuberculosis and provided emergency services and also sometimes for other patients suffering from other diseases. Staff and networking partners have regularly been involved in training in the Tuberculosis area and follow the latest development under the National Tuberculosis Eradication Programme.

Over the years BSTHWS continued work in same field. NGOs receive guidance to start work in the same field areas.

Regional and National level:

Team members from BSTWSH regularly participate in workshops and seminars in regional level as well as organized important seminars in collaboration with National primer Institute of tuberculosis have been organised at Howrah IMA auditorium. World Tuberculosis Day and Foundation Day of BSTHWS is observed and holds seminars and workshops.

BSTHWS works with its network of State and Dist. level Govt. Organizations in implementing National Policies as well as always priories to introduce all latest medicines come in the market under the guidance of respective government departments.

A Collaborative Study on “Examining the acceptability of DOTS amongst patients and private practitioners in urban slums of Howrah, West Bengal by the Maharashtra Association of Anthropological sciences, Centre for Health Research and Development (MAAS-CHRD) Pune and Bantra St. Thomas Home welfare Society.

International level:

BSTHWS is recognised internationally, engaged dedicatedly in the field of medical care services, particularly in the area of Tuberculosis and focussing on other important matters required for a person to be included in the society. The Secretary of the organization was facilitated the certificate by German Govt. and acknowledged the yeomen services to the Tuberculosis patients offered by Dr. Tobias Vogt and received the certificate of vocational award.