My motivation and passion to be a doctor started in my childhood seeing my mother’s sufferings as a diabetic patient. Being a genetically inherited type 2 diabetic patient, she used to have many complications and my father had to wander around taking her to several different doctors and diagnostic centers. Witnessing these experiences left a lasting impact on me that people suffer a lot when they are sick not and only because of their illness, but also in the process of seeking medical help. To me, being a doctor is not a reputed profession only, but I see it as a sacred duty where we are serving the people, just like the way I wanted my mother to be treated.
Upon completion of my graduation, I started general practice as a physician and also joined the GP Health Service as a consultant. While practicing there I had the experience to serve hundreds of patients across the country – from rural villagers to metro-city dwellers of different age groups. Aside from being sick, most of them have a common issue that they do not have a trusted healthcare facility or a medical professional that they can entirely rely on when seeking medical help.
After getting the medical advice these patients would come to me for consultation, they would often share their own personal stories, the opportunities and obstacles in life they have faced as if I were their own family member! It reminded me of classic movies where families would have a family doctor whom they trust and confide in as their very own family member. I was touched by their affection for me as their doctor and wished I had the opportunity to meet and treat my patients, being connected with them as a family doctor who would stick by them in their good and bad times. I knew it was merely a dream at that time because there was no such platform to practice family medicine in Bangladesh.
I came to know that only one noble doctor had pursued his FCPS course in family medicine. The lack of a facility to practice and the then-unknown prospect of family medicine discouraged more doctors to explore this side of medicine. Later on, a small enthusiasm led me to pursue my postgraduate diploma in family medicine under the University Of Science & Technology Chattogram (USTC). There I met the compassionate-hearted Dr. Shoaib Ahmed. While pursuing the course I was working as an Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) at a medical center at Banani but I was unaware of Praava Health and its vision. This is when Dr. Shoaib invited me to come to his office at Praava Health. I was simply mesmerized entering the Praava Health facility for the first time! Seeing the beautifully architectured facility, modern systematic setup, and approach, was like my dream had come true to have the opportunity to be a part of Praava Health and practice family medicine in a manner that could not be imagined to be available in Bangladesh as there was no dedicated facility focused on family medicine before Praava started its journey.
Praava Health is the first in Bangladesh to introduce a fully integrated Hospital Information System (HIS). Patients do not need to worry about carrying their old medical reports anymore. Here at Praava, we have the complete database of our patients’ medical records, and doctors have access to the patient portal for instant report checking, advising medicines and diagnosis, constant monitoring, and so on.
Our state-of-the-art lab facility is set up and maintained according to international standards. We are one of the first private outpatient facilities in Bangladesh to get authorization for COVID-19 testing. Throughout the pandemic, the Praava team has been working relentlessly for our community by collecting COVID-19 samples through home collection and our collection booths for testing. We are also among the leading pioneers in Bangladesh to promote and implement telemedicine during this time so patients can consult with their doctors remotely without having to risk their exposure to the virus during this time.
We, the doctors and the entire Praava team are working every day from morning until late night, often beyond our scheduled work hours, to ensure that our patients are getting all the support they need from us. And we can proudly say that we are serving them very well and patients are very satisfied, alhamdulillah, in this pandemic situation too.
Praava’s working environment, the office culture is very friendly, safe, and comfortable, encouraging, full of positivity and goodness. Regardless of our gender or designation, there is no discrimination be it from our Praava Guides, Front Desk Executives, janitors, nurses, phlebotomists, technicians, doctors, or the management team – we all together share a great bonding and team spirit to work as a family towards a common mission. We all work with empathy, dedication, and compassion, that is why our beloved patients find Praava as a safe, trusted, and reliable place to come for their healthcare needs.
Praava has completed more than 3 years, and I joined Praava on 19 March 2018. I am and always will be indebted to my beloved colleague Dr. Musarrof Hossain, and Praava’s Senior Medical Director Dr. Simeen M Akhtar, and Medical Director Dr. Faisal Rahman who selected me to be a part of the team. I must express my heartfelt gratitude and admiration for the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Praava Health, Ms. Sylvana Quader Sinha, a magnificent visionary and a person with a heart full of love and who works for the betterment of the people of our country. Being born and brought up in the USA she did not forget her origin. Despite having a successful and established career and life in the US, she decided to move to Bangladesh to dedicate her time, energy, thoughts, and resources to give the people of Bangladesh a world class health care system where patients come first as a priority. Under her dynamic leadership, we are working to achieve our united goal – to bring a revolutionary change in the healthcare sector of Bangladesh and to provide people with the best trustworthy and quality services at an affordable price point.
I can vividly recollect my first working day at Praava and also my first patient. We are still in touch now. My journey with Praava has been incredible. Praava Health has given me the platform to communicate with all my patients in an amiable family environment that I dreamt of. I can’t express the amount of love and respect I receive from my patients, they have accepted me as their very own family doctor by true means. For many of them, I am not only a doctor but a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend – a member of their family.
Our life is short, but the completeness of this short life lies in our work, dedication, compassion that improves and enlightens the lives of others. As a doctor, I am honored and proud to be a member of Praava Health which is working for the people.
No comment yet, add your voice below!