Medical Camp at Hiradih Village

[This post has 4 videos and 40 pictures to give a visual walk-through of the medical camp. A short report describing our experience is given below.] [One new video is added at the end as follow up activity of yesterday's medical camp. This is of Smt. Sharma Tudu from Keshiashole village after she gets back her vision on successful completion of operation by visiting Kolkata medical team at Prembazar eye hospital.]

We had an ennobling experience today when Unit 11 of our NSS, IIT Kharagpur team conducted a medical camp on 28-02-2015 at Hiradih Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra (M.S.K.). We saw a conflence of goodwill where besides us, IIT Kharagpur and Prembazar Eye Hospital medical team we had members of Kharagpur Voluntary Blood Donors' Organization (KVBDO) and local community leaders to make the camp successful. A total of 103 residents of Hiradih and adjoining Kesiashole village took medical service from the camp. Local community leaders helped us identifying the needy among them (most of them are so), who will be given free medicine according to prescription. KVBDO is helping us in getting medicine at concessional rate.

While we served needy of these two tribal villages, we got educated about ground realities and how coming together of us, local youth, community leaders and NGOs and GOs can make difference. We were told that many of the utterly needy are not considered BPL (Below Poverty Line) because as they failed to appear in a survey or so and by default were considered APL (Above Poverty Line). Then almost none of them had Rashtriya Swasthya Bima (National Health Insurance) card where with Rs. 30 annual premium covers Rs. 30000 of medical expense. One was found to have this card but renewal was not done.

Mrs. Budhani Berra and Mrs. Saraswati Soren (Kisku), elected panchayet members of Hiradih and Kesiasole villages respectively, were present in the medical camp and encouraged us. We got into a conversation with them. It appeared that they too are worried but were unsure about the process and implementation. Mr. Parimal Mahat, Secretary and a local community leader of good standing also joined the conversation. We shared our experience of conducting Scheduled Tribe caste certificate camp (Link). Also, if we can have a meeting at Gopali Panchayet office (this area comes under Gopali Panchayet) to chalk out a strategy together. We have a cordial relationship with Panchayet Pradhan, Mrs. Nilmoni Soren who graced NSS, IIT Kharagpur function in IIT auditorium before. We asked local community leaders to think about and write down what they think as needed for the development of that area by getting what is due to them.

Mr. Partha Mukherjee from KVBDO team worked with our young volunteers shoulder to shoulder. Dr. S. A. Najmi and other doctors of KVBDO team were also there. Dr. Najmi is the key person behind most of the blood donation camps organized at Kharagpur town, and converting it to a movement by which quantity and quality of blood supply is ensured not only in Kharagpur but in some neighboring towns too. We got into little conversation with him and other KVBDO members. He proposed developing a model village where his team will extend all possible help on medical front. Only a day back, we heard our Director asking us to move fast on one model village as a part of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan. And here we the convergence of all the powers of good.

Dr. Dhole of Prembazar Eye Hospital is always an inspiring figure before us. In our annual camp, previous medical camps, we learnt a lot interacting with him. This day was no exception. On hearing that there is a semi blind old lady who cannot walk and there is none in family who can bring her in the camp, he rushed to her hut with one of our student team leader. She was brought in the camp, examined and a plan was chalked out how her eye can be operated next day by a visiting Kolkata specialists at Prembazar Eye Hospital.

All in all, it was great team effort. We thank all – doctors, community leaders, well – wishers for helping us in rendering our service to the society.

Some pictures and videos of this medical camp are shared in this post.

A series:

Addendum: We followed it up today where Smt. Sharma Tudu got back her vision after eye operation. Here is a conversation with her. Some student volunteers from Unit 15 was there in yesterday's medical camp. May be next medical camp will come up where that unit works, village - Soladahar!