Jack Preger

Jack Preger (born 25 July 1930, in Manchester, England) is a British doctor who has been offering medical treatment as well as vocational training to the poor in the Indian city of Kolkata and in other parts of West Bengal since 1972.

[2] In 1972, when he had just finished his internship, although his plans had been to dedicate his life to the poor in South or Central America, and he had prepared himself by learning Spanish, he answered a call over the radio for doctors to help the people of then newly independent Bangladesh.

He was soon in Dhaka,[3] where he worked, under squalid conditions, in refugee camps filled with Urdu-speaking people who intended to return to Pakistan.

[4] However, his work in Dhaka came to an abrupt end when he discovered that Dutch non-government organisation Terre des Hommes was operating a child-smuggling racket, and exposed it despite the Bangladesh government warning him not to.

However, Preger criticized the inadequate conditions in Mother Teresa's charities, saying "If one wants to give love, understanding and care, one uses sterile needles.

[3][dead link‍] When carrying medical supplies to and from the bridge proved impractical, Preger moved to Middleton Row located off Park Street where he was offered free storage facilities at a Presbytery.

A welfare department gave out vitamins and maternal supplies, plus small sums of money to cover travel costs for patients from rural areas.

Serious cases, including cancer and heart disease, were referred to local hospitals for surgery, radiotherapy, or other medical procedures.

An American doctor called Jim Withers who met Preger on a trip to India in 1993, was inspired to introduce the concept in his home town of Pittsburgh, USA.

[citation needed] After Preger registered Calcutta Rescue as a charity in 1991, he started two more clinics in Kolkata and donations came in from eight European countries.

Eventually the courts struck down the government's rejection, and Preger was allowed to accept 1.5 million rupees per month in donations.

[1][4] Aged 88 and in declining health, Preger retired in January 2019 and returned to the United Kingdom after 40 years of service to the poor in Kolkata.