Hundreds Attend Free Health Screening Day at Worcester Islamic Center
By Tahir Ali
Photos by Atif Rao
Worcester: “One of the best organized events of the day. Highly professional and very elegantly planned,”
complimented Dr Naseema Khan as he commended the ‘Free Health Screening’ event held at the Worcester Islamic Center (WIC).
The free health-screening day drew enough members of the community to keep the doctors busy talking, examining, evaluating and sticking needles in patients rolled-up-sleeve arms. About 20 people received flu shots that day, according to Dr Riffat Sharif, a psychiatrist and an Assistant Professor at UMASS Medical School. Dr Sharif is also one of the event organizers.
Another organizer, Shahida Balaparya, a Vascular Sonologist at UMASS Memorial Hospital, was very satisfied with the turnout. “It was an opportunity for us to learn how our ultimate project of a free clinic will work.”
Shahida Balaparya, an active member of the Islamic Center, has been in the medical field for more than 20 years. “I always wanted to serve the community in my field.” Her involvement in WIC’s social services committee reinforced her resolve even more after seeing the plight of the refugees and the sufferings of the needy. Shahida pointed out that many students and other volunteers, including Nurse Practitioner Alysse Sundstrom and RN Dibenedtto Daniel, helped and participa
Several years ago, Dr Mohammed Ramzan the President of WIC and Dr Usmani under the banner of Association of Pakistani Physicians of New England (APPNE), wanted to start a free clinic at the Worcester Islamic Center. This led to a trip to the India Center to see its free clinic setup by Dr Shahdev Passey. Dr M. Ramzan and Dr Waseem Akhtar worked on setting a free clinic at WIC, but due to some concerns with mal-practice insurance coverage and other issues, this idea did not materialize.
However, an initiative taken by Shahida Balaparya and Dr Riffat Sharif reinvigorated that idea by planning today’s Health-Screening Day under WIC Social Services (WICSS) with a subsequent plan to start a Free Clinic at WIC.
Dr Ramzan, who is a neurologist, said to the organizers and the team, “I am hoping that you all will wholeheartedly join and participate in this effort and cause.”
Congressman James McGovern, the CEO of UMASS Dr Eric Dickson and Dr Shahdev Passey, attended as special guests. They visited each station and chatted with the doctors and patients. Each station was set according to the services: Internists/Primary Care, Cardiology, Psychiatry, Audiology, RN/NP/PA, Dentistry, Pediatric and FLU Vaccination manned by APPNE. Representative McGovern said, “I believe in this and I am working with a
program called ‘Food is Medicine’”. He added that he is engaged in this program in DC and also witthe Harvard Medical School.
Dr Dickson was very excited to see so many of UMASS doctors to be part of this initiative. He said what everyone was hoping to hear that the UMASS doctors working here would be covered by mal-practice insurance. Hanif Balaparya mentioned that some of the medical equipment is very expensive; the CEO assured him that UMASS will donate some of their used equipment. Dr Riffat shared some of her ideas like “to incorporate in our 2019 healthcare fair in addition to what we had: A focus on nutrition and health cooking, stress relief and fitness classes, blood drive.”
With help from Congressman McGovern and Dr Dickson, along with guidance from Dr Passey, I can see Dr Ramzan’s and Shahida Balaparya's dream to have a free clinic at WIC coming true.
This article should serve as a model and in my opinion should be used by all Muslim communities across the USA, to establish free clinics to serve not only the community but the neighbors. This will be a great service to the poor, and especially the refugees.
It’s time to pay back and to pay forward.
Participants in the event:
Internist/PCP Dr Saqib Chaudhry Dr Irfan Asghar Dr Zahra Shaikh Dr Robina Yaqub Dr Nosheen Ishaque Dr Fatima Khalid Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Cardiology Dr Waqas Qureshi Psychiatry Dr Riffat Sharif Dr Qaisar Khan Sr Nejla Pediatrician Dr Mohsina Alom Dr Shahdev Passey
Dr. Shameem Ahmed Dentist:
Dr Asma AbdulHameed Dr Salman Khanani Dr Salim Alptekin Audiology
Sr Sameena Jawad
Sonologist
Sr. Shahida Balaparya RN/NP/PA Sr Irfana AbdulHameed APPNE physicians (Flu vaccination) Dr Khalil Khatri Dr Yousif Shaikh Dr Saud Javed Dr Jamila Khalil Dr Akmal Sarwar Dr Muhammad Omer Azim
