Organisation and Activities 

The CO Foundation/Almadina OPD is functioning like any other quality OPD with the exception that there are two categories of patients using the facility alongside each other: commercial customers and charity patients. Commercial patients come to the OPD to see a nurse or doctor, if necessary are referred to the laboratory for tests and can buy medicines in the pharmacy. These patients pay for the quality health care they receive in the CO Foundation/Almadina OPD.

Charity patients are being treated in exactly the same manor except for the fact that at the end of their visit to the CO Foundation/Almadina OPD they do not pay anything for the health care they received. Instead CO Foundation/Almadina pays for the registration of the charity patients, the consultation fee, laboratory tests and medicines. The selection of patients that have access to this free health care is done by local malams who live in the communities and who know the patients: charity patients are selected based on the severity of the health problem of the individual patient as well as on their financial capability to pay for the health care needed after which they receive a green card. Upon presentation of this green card at the CO Foundation/Almadina OPD they receive free diagnosis and treatment. Commercial patients have white cards to distinguish them from the charity patients.

Most common diseases amongst the charity patients are malaria, typhoid, skin diseases, respiratory tract infections and gastro-intestinal problems like ulcers. Also common are diabetes and hypertension. Up till today more than 30,000 charity patients have been diagnosed and treated in the CO Foundation/Almadina OPD. The financial backing for these free health care activities came from organisations in The Netherlands, amongst others stichting Winters in Baarlo and Parochieel Missie Committee in Grubbenvorst but lately also substantially from the income generated by the commercial patients coming to the Almadina OPD for quality health care. The ultimate objective of the project is to cover all expenses for treating charity patients by the income from commercial customers. That way rich patients pay for the treatment of the poor, a true Robin Hood construction.