The outpatient department service of Dhanbad Red Cross Society lying suspended since more than seven years would soon be resumed. This was decided during a meeting of Dhanbad Red Cross society management committee held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Dhanbad deputy commissioner, Uma Shankar Singh at district collectorate during which several other decisions to revive the Red Cross Society including increasing its membership by manifolds was taken.

The meeting attended by sub-divisional officer, Surendra Prasad; additional district magistrate (Law and Order), Chandan Kumar; Red Cross secretary, Kushlendra Kumar and others also decided to develop the website as well as a Twitter account of the society at the earliest in order to facilitate the online submission of forms for membership and its approval.

During the meeting, it was also decided to ensure increasing the funding of the society by establishing coordination with office bearers of the different trade bodies like Federation of Dhanbad Zila Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jharkhand Industries and Trade Association, private coal excavators working on behalf of BCCL, etc.

“The fund will be used to carry out the welfare activities conducted by Red Cross Society like distribution of tricycle and other aids to physically challenged persons besides monetary help to persons suffering from various serious medical complications,” said Dhanbad Red Cross Society secretary, Kaushlendra Kumar and added that a host of welfare activities like rendering services to armed forces in war days and also to the people during disasters, cyclone, flood, drought are also conducted.

Three ambulance services including one cardiac ambulance and two general ambulances are also provided by the Dhanbad Red Cross Society on no loss/no profit basis to common people and besides this regular blood donation camps are also organised at the behest of Red Cross Society.

Notably, a similar decision to increase the membership of the Dhanbad Red Cross Society was also taken during an executive committee of the society held on August 1, 2019. The membership forms were made available at different shops, commercial establishment, etc. after which membership increased to some extent.

The meeting while taking the decision to re-launch the OPD service in Red Cross Society building near Golf Ground stressed on launching the facility of gynaecologist, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist on priority basis with some of the members of the Dhanbad Red Cross Society.

Notably, the OPD service of Red Cross Society was launched in 2013 in association with Dhanbad unit of Indian Medical Association but the service later discontinued due to several reasons including lack of awareness among the common people about the OPD service and very few patients turning up at the OPD Centre.