‘Jibon Tari’ Floating Hospital, Bangladesh
Building on the experience of the Lifeline Express, IMPACT launched the ‘Jibon Tari’ (Boat of Life) Floating Hospital in 1999 to take specialist care to riverside communities along 3,000 kilometres of waterway in Bangladesh.
BANGLADESH: Sight-restoring cataract surgery
The vessel is 40 metres by 10 metres and built on three decks housing wards, an operating theatre, a training centre, laboratories and even its own water purification plant.
It moors at each site for about 12 weeks and offers surgical and medical care, training and health education. The Jibon Tari’s fame has spread quickly and crowds of people greet it at each site in the hope of treatment. In a country as impoverished as Bangladesh, the need for a service like this is almost limitless. For more details of their work, see IMPACT Foundation Bangladesh’s website.
There is a short film available about IMPACT’s floating hospital in our media library: Ship of Life.
The Individual IMPACT
Mr. Sultan worked as a labourer for approximately 40 pence per day. At night he went fishing to supplement the family’s income.
His sight was gradually dimming because of cataracts and, unable to afford to see a doctor, Mr. Sultan’s vision deteriorated to the extent that he could not work. Without income, the family went hungry and his son had to drop out of school.
When the Jibon Tari moored nearby Mr. Sultan received sight-restoring surgery onboard. Now he can work once more and his son is continuing his education which will ensure that he has the best opportunities in life too.