Profugo’s First Medical Camp!

Our service area, Prashanthagiri, is in dire need of regular medical care. The nearest medical post available in private or government facilities is located in Mananthavady, roughly 15 kilometers or a 1.5 hour bus ride away. For major and minor ailments, people have to commute this distance for medical consultation and treatment.  When transportation has to be hired, as ambulance services are not available, the minimum cost is 400 rupees, which equals 2 days’ wages.

Knowing the desire and need for some type of medical service for the community of Prashanthagiri, Profugo’s field staff worked hard to identify a medical organization that would be willing to partner for a medical camp.  Fatima Mata Hospital, a 200 bed multi-specialty hospital, approximately 50 km away, agreed for such collaboration and a medical camp was scheduled for April 6, 2014.  Within one day of open registration, 265 individuals had registered to participate!  This shows the grave need that exists in the community for such service.

For the camp, we had five specialists in General Medicine, ENT, Cardiology, Orthopedics and Gynecology. The main attraction was for general medicine, orthopedics and gynecology. Orthopedic patients turned out in large numbers and women showed the need for Osteoporosis screening and treatment.  All patients were provided with blood group detection, medical consultation, and one week’s supply of needed medicines and vitamins.  Fatima Mata Hospital is to be thanked for the free medicines that were distributed and their services were greatly appreciated by all who attended the medical camp.

At the end of the camp there was a warm vegetarian lunch fellowship for the doctors, staffs and the volunteers. Thus our first medical camp was successfully conducted with plans already for future similar events.