Mateshwari Charitable Dispensary
The Dispensary
Location:
The Dispensary is located in the state of Uttarakhand (whose capital is Dehradun), in the town of Rishikesh, 24 km from Haridwar and 4 hours by train from New Delhi, in the North of India.
2006-2015
This care facility was initially established within the Shri Gita Ashram International Charitable Trust under the name of “Mateshwari Sophie General Hospital” and was solemnly inaugurated on 29 January 2006 by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Mr Narayan Datt Tiwari. It operated there from 30 January 2006 to 15 April 2015.
2015 to date
It was then transferred in April 2015 to the Rishikesh centre, at Sophie ROMBAUT’s house, in the “Muni Ki Reti” area near the slums.
It has been in operation here since 1 May 2015 and is called: “Mateshwari Charitable Dispensary”.
Composition of the buildings:
A sheltered courtyard serving as a waiting area
GP consulting room
Gynaecologist’s consulting room
Dressing room
Medicine distribution counter
Dentist’s room
Pharmacy
Day hospitalisation and observation room
Physiotherapy room
Additionally, the space includes the administrative office, which also serves as a meeting room, a small flat for the caretaker’s family and the ambulance bay.
Activities of the Dispensary
The dispensary offers free treatment for those most in need.
It is open every day (except Thursdays)
from 9 am to 2 pm.
Between the dispensary and the camps, around 25,000 patients are treated every year.
A partnership with a local hospital has been established for major surgeries and challenging, high-risk deliveries, including those requiring caesarean sections.
The medical team and Jérémie Rombaut in front of the dispensary entrance.
The team of nurses and the lab technician
The medical team consists of:
- A general practitioner responsible for consultations at the dispensary and as medical superintendent for the smooth running of the medical team.
- A general practitioner in charge of the camps.
- A gynaecologist, who treats gynaecological conditions and monitors pregnancies.
- A dentist and his assistant.
- 4 nurses.
- A laboratory technician.
- A pharmacist.
- A physiotherapist.
The other members of the staff are:
- The accountant, the caretaker, the ambulance driver
- The manager responsible for overseeing the dispensary’s operation, including administrative and logistical management, liaising with the Association and Jérémie Rombaut through monthly reports, and managing other administrative and legal procedures.
Camp activity:
4 times a week, the dispensary sends a team of doctors and nurses to reach the most underprivileged populations living in the slums on the outskirts of Rishikesh: Labor Colony and Kali Ki Dhaal, as well as in the remote mountain villages: Paukhal (40km) and Gainkhal (35km).
The medical team travels in an ambulance fully equipped with the necessary equipment and medicines. These ‘camps’ (essentially mobile clinics) are a huge success because they meet a real need. The number of patients can reach up to 300 each day.
Additionally, an ambulance service has been established to transport patients from the camps to the Dispensary for specialist consultations, laboratory tests, or X-ray examinations.
