City docs, NGO join hands to provide free medical assistance to the elderly

Kolkata: At a time when desertion of old parents by their children has become a common thing, some city-based doctors along with Calcutta Cultural Centre, an NGO, have decided to provide medical assistance free of cost to elderly people.

Dr Samarjit Naskar and members of the centre announced their decision of providing medical assistance to elderly people at a function held at Press Club recently. "We want to give a message to the elderly people that they are useful citizens and society can be greatly benefited by sharing their rich experience," said Pallab Mitra, general secretary of the centre.

104-year-old Amiya Kumar Chatterjee, a well known electrical engineer who passed out from Jadavpur University in 1931, narrated several incidents of his life with anecdotes. Dilip Kumar Roy (101), former head of department of Chemistry, St Xavier's College and grandson of poet Rajani Kanta Sen, spoke about some incidents of his life.

The centre felicitated 8 nonagenarian persons who attended the meeting held on World Human Rights Day. They were Bireswar Banerjee and SM Mitra, noted scholars, Ganesh Ghosh, former chairman of Budge Budge Municipality, Kashikanta Moitra, Taraknath Mukherjee and Arati Dasgupta.

Mrinal Sen, who is now 94-years-old, Ashok Mitra (91) former state Finance minister, Mohammad Amin (92) former Transport minister and Amala Shankar (98) could not attend the function.

Justice (Retd) Chittosh Mukherjee, Snehasis Sur, president Press Club and Debashis Bhattacharya, editor Sangrami Maa, Mati Manush also spoke at the meeting.