By Mihir Kulkarni
Project RISHI organized a free medical camp during our annual India trip for the people of Vadamanappakkam. Here is an overview of the goals and results of the camp!
The camp aimed to provide a window into the health of the people in the village, primarily focusing on women. By creating precise diagnoses of conditions and supplying needed medication to the villagers, we aimed to impact the well-being of these people significantly. In addition, a pilot of reusable menstrual pads was implemented. “The highlight of the camp was definitely getting to see all the work we put in from last year and this year finally come together,” head of Medicine and Public Health Nivedha Satheeshkumar said, “We were able to treat over 200 patients!”
The first floor of the camp was dedicated to the general public and pediatrics, while the second floor was reserved for women. The medical professionals present at the camp included two general doctors, a pediatrician, a gynecologist, and a nurse. Patients were treated for vitamin deficiencies, protein uptake, malnourishment, and UTIs.
In partnering with HOPE Foundation and Bewell, we sponsored doctors and provided the necessary medical supplies for the patients. Doctors used practices including an EKG, blood sugar and blood pressure readings, and gynecological exams to treat the villagers. Additionally, 50 boxes of reusable cloth menstrual pads were distributed. All of this would not be possible without the help of our sponsors, and we cannot thank them enough for their knowledge and help during the camp.
The camp was overall successful, but certain aspects of the camp have been identified for Project RISHI to later improved upon. The overall feedback received from the camp was resoundingly positive. Some of these areas that could be improved include coordinating logistics with our partners and creating a better organization system throughout each patient interaction. These challenges somewhat limited the impact of the camp and would undoubtedly be areas of focus for the future. Once again, a big thank you to our donors, partners, and medical professionals for making this event possible!
1. Organization of medicine and vitamins to be distributed during the camp
2. Patient's heart activity being measured via electrocardiogram