Mercy Clinic Overview

Most families living in rural communities outside Calcutta have no immediate access to healthcare and cannot afford the time away from work or the costs required for transportation to and from Calcutta.  Many of the children in these communities suffer from diseases like thalassemia, leukemia, and cleft lips or palates, in addition to minor illness that if left untreated put children at high risk.  In response, Mercy Hospital is commited to building 40 Mercy Clinics.  These will function as small satellite facilities that deliver basic medical care at little to no cost to the patients. 14 Mercy Clinics are currently operational and six more are under construction.

We recently constructed clinics in Chakdah and Polasey -- located two or more hours from Mercy Hospital.  In addition to the daily nursing staff providing basic care and health education at the clinics, doctors from Mercy Hospital visit twice weekly to treat more severe illnesses.  If a patient requires extensive treatment, they can arrange to visit the hospital in Calcutta.  Mercy Hospital is working to raise funds for a telemedicine system, which will enable the remote transmission of medical information and diagnosis, making travel less necessary.