Razak Halai, 57, and Hamida, 56, run a charitable clinic in Mumbai

With private hospitals looming large and municipal hospitals perennially overrun, smaller clinics provide much-needed relief to ailing patients in bustling cities. The Prologue Dispensary in Yari Road, in suburban Mumbai, is one such clinic. Founded in 2010 by Hamida, 56, and Razak Halai, 57, the clinic gets between 10 to 100 patients each day. “Everybody is welcome here,” says Hamida. “Sometimes, we even get injured animals.” There are two homeopaths, three dentists, two general physicians and one eye specialist at the clinic; Hamida and Razaak assist in the administration of treatment when they are not busy attending to their real-estate business, run out of the same space. The Halalis’ own journey has been long and hard. Hamida arrived in Mumbai from a village near Ahmedabad when she was 21 to visit a relative—and decided to stay back. She went from maid to entrepreneur running her own clothes shop, all in an effort to provide their three children an education. When she was pregnant with her first daughter, Razaak fell ill. “We ran from pillar to post trying to get a diagnosis as we didn’t have the money,” she remembers. “That’s when we decided to do what we could to help people in such situations.” When the Halalis finally established themselves, they started the Prologue Charitable Trust. They wound up their clothes shop to become real-estate agents and now fund the trust with a portion of the money they earn. While consultations are free, patients are charged a nominal fee of ₹ 30 for treatment. Razaak seeks out advanced medical attention in municipal hospitals for patients who need it. The couple is now waiting for their youngest son to settle down so they can sell their two houses and set up a hospital for those who cannot afford medical treatment. “That is our ultimate dream,” says Hamida.

—Natasha Rego

Photograph by Natasha Rego
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
November 2016