Report Details

Rational of Community Health Camp

Health is human capital. Once capacity and capability depend upon what is that physical, mental as well as emotional health of the person. Health is human rights for everyone. Longevity depends upon one’s health even being declared as human right millions of people in India do not get proper health care. It is evident by morbidity and mortality rate. Society is divided between two groups who can access proper health facilities and other who have no such facility. The public health system in rural Bihar is extremely inadequate. It is neither dependable nor accessible.

In Mahuain, Gaya district, the situation is even more severe. There is little or no health care in this village. There is scarcity of hospitals (well-equipped), beds, investigation facilities and pharmacies. Many of the existing government sub-centres are non-functioning and inaccessible, due to the isolation of multi hazard disaster prone and the lack of road connectivity. As a result, communities are forced to rely on quacks, risking their lives.

The majority of Primary Health Centres and APHCs are understaffed. There has limited electricity supply and are poorly managed, resulting in underperformance and underutilization of existing facilities. Absenteeism and unaccountability cripples’ credibility and reliability of curative services offered by the Government. Arsenic, bacteria and iron contamination in drinking water is another hazard that can turn into a disaster any moment.

Climate induced disasters have added to the vulnerability of the people living in these areas. There is a lack of basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges, public transport, and electricity. Access to education and health care are also limited because of poor communication facility in the region.

Mahuain Village communities are such community who do not have proper health care the rate of morbidity and mortality is higher in this community. They are the people who are not only deprived proper health care (Preventive and curative) but are very less aware of health problems. Social Determinacy like illiteracy in proper sanitation lack of nutritious food easily accessibility to medical care is some structural problem which lead to frequent diseases and illness.

There are many instances when people of this community die of minor diseases which could have been saved by timely treatment. 47% of women in Mahuain village are underweight. The situation is reportedly even worse, though no study report is available to confirm this. At least 45% of pregnant women weigh less than 45 kg, as per our health camp records. Majority women and pregnant women are anaemic. Most of the girls get married before they are 18 years of age. Women suffer more than men from common ailments (communicable). They are more stressed mentally. In this background, Smile Together India Foundation (STIF) is proposing organize health camp once in a month at 4-5 Village in Gaya District.

Objective

• To provide curative and preventative healthcare services to the most vulnerable people in Mahuain village through outreach health check up camp
• To Bring change in the behaviours which are detrimental
• To spread health awareness among Mahuain village people

The overall goal is to provide primary health care services and reducing avoidable diseases from this village.

Inaugural session

Smile Together India Foundation (STIF) organized this community health checkup camp on 17th Oct 2022 in Mahuain village. The camp inaugural ceremony, Sh. Sandeep Kumar & Mr. Shubrah Kumar (Secretary-STIF) welcomed to Sh. T. S Paul (SSP Commandant, SSP Gaya) and in this session, Chief Guest, T. S Paul (SSP Commandant, SSP Gaya) and Mr. Anirudh Prasad Yadav (PRIs Representative, Camp Inaugural Session by Lighting lamp Baraoh Panchayat) inaugurated the health checkup camp by lighting the lamp. Sh. Sandeep Kumar Pathak facilitated to the Chief Guest with guldasta and Pag.

Process & Strategy: –

1. Dissemination of information about health camps in Mahuain village with the help of community
mobilizers, PRIs members, Local leaders
2. Used Micking/ audio for two days prior to the day of health camps
Camp Inaugural Session by Lighting lamp
3. Distribution of slip with the name of head of families
4. Hiring of two doctors and one medical assistance
5. At the day of camp people made line in cube as per the slips given to people
6. They have screened and treated based on first come first serve
7. Distribution of medicine of patients

Overview of the Health Checkup Camp

Mr. Shubrah Kumar (Secretary- Smile Together India Foundation) kept this health checkup camp overall objective and why it is important to this community. Giving the background of the camp, he highlighted the problems of women and child health and nutrition and its impact on local level. He said, “health hazard and different type of diseases is the major cause of breaker the economic status. Without proper health and wealth, we cannot do any things. Health is our wealth. Health camp is very much essential during any kind of disaster and the most in vulnerable place. Mahuain village is one of the most vulnerable villages where people are not access to their basic medical assistant and health care services.

In this camp total number of patients were 250 and these patients were screened and provided medicines. The community people continued practicing open defecation because sanitation facility was absent, and they poorly managed toilet and drinking water. In this health care camp, most of the patients suffered from water borne disease like diarrhoea, skin disease, cold, cough and fever. Vision problem was another disease. There were many patients who have vision problem.

In this village, people do not have access to affordable and timely eye care services. The delay in treatment often leads to loss of eyesight. Hence, this health checkup camp has provided the solution of vision problem through the eye screening, referrals and treatment of eye ailments which helps preventing loss of eyesight.

Due to the poor nutritional status, poor personal hygiene and poor environmental sanitation, worm infestations, vitamin deficiencies, this health camp was organized for brining better health status among the vulnerable people in this village.

Health Check-up Camp – Doctor checking the patient’s fever and blood pressure Village level intervention with community health care service was initiated with the help of Smile Together India Foundation and MBBS doctor.

In this health care camp, it was found that most of Female (pregnant and lactating mothers) took health care service of cold,fever, cough and water borne diseases. Also, it was found that the common diseases were low and high blood pressure and blood sugar. Most of the female took this free health care facility. Most of the diseases found were bacterial and fungal skin infections, fever, and diarrheal, gastric, ear and wound infections.

Major Observation: –

• Elderly female patients’ problem was – cold, fever, skin disease, breathing problem, pain, headache, gastric and vision problem
• Most of the patients under 50 yrs – Fever, cold, cough, diarrhea, skill diseases, itching, chest pain.
• Due to the poor nutritional status/poor personal hygiene and poor environmental sanitation, worm infestations, vitamin deficiencies, this health camp was organized for brining better health status among the most vulnerable people.

Conclusion:-

Communities belonging from socio-economic poor background, persons with disabilities, women, senior
citizens, and children have received this primary basic health care services through the organizing of mobile
community health checkup camps. After bringing back their good health, social & cultural status will be
improved and will get the source of income in future. This health checkup camp was very required to this
community people.

Way forwards:-

• More community mobile health check-up camp will be organized in different village with different community people for bring back their economic and social status.
• Community level Health and Nutrition awareness (Mass campaign) program will be initiated by Smile Together India Foundation.
• Mobilize the resource for organizing these required camps.

Vote to thanks by Sh. Sandeep Kumar Pathak

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