Announcing Parivaar Swasthya Setu Prakalpa

Since February, we have started another impactful initiative using the Seva Kutir Platform – providing logistical support for healthcare access to patients of all age groups for various diseases and disabilities. Our experience of working in remote and poor tribal villages in Madhya Pradesh has highlighted the dismal conditions of people with chronic diseases or disabilities. Due to poverty, lack of access to good hospitals and doctors, lack of awareness about government schemes, they suffer from the diseases for lifetime, and in many cases without the expectation to get treated. We have named this initiative Swasthya Setu Prakalapa. This has been started in all Seva Kutir villages (about 70) of Karahal block of Sheopur district and will soon be extended to Khakwa block in Khandwa and àTamia block in Chhindwara which too are marked by severe inaccessibility. Parivaar’s team in Seva Kutir villages proactively surveys and identifies such cases. Once the case is identified, our team meets the patient and her/his family and tries to understand the ailment, for how long he/she is suffering etc. Then, our team approaches the nearest health centre, which is Community Health Centre (CHC), Karahal. Mostly, the cases are not treatable here and are referred to the District Hospital, Sheopur for further diagnosis and treatment. We then take the patients to the District Hospital and get them treated there. If the treatment is not possible at District Hospital Sheopur, then it is referred to Medical College, Gwalior. In some cases when treatment is not possible even at Gwalior, then these patients are referred to AIIMS Delhi or even to Government hospital in Jaipur (Rajasthan). Right from the beginning, Parivaar’s team takes care of all the transport, stay and fooding cost. The treatment at government hospital is free, however in some cases we have to bear the costs od medicines and tests (sometimes done at private labs due to lack of facility at goverment set-up) Initially, the doctors in government hospitals were a little surprised by the sudden increase in the number of patients coming to see them. Some of them were less cooperative and apathetic towards the patients. However, with intesified efforts to make them understand we have now got good support from the block and district level government authorities. They have also started inviting us in district level meetings presided by the Collector, on health and related issues where Collector, CMHO (Chief Health and Medical Officer) and other health officials closely interact with us, seek our help in identifying such cases and also offer us help. This initiative is led by our dedicated Sevavratee Aamir Khan and his team who handles this entire work along with the overall guidance of our District Anchor for Sheopur, Mr. Rinkesh Karochi and support from the Sheopur District team. The program is soon being rolled in other districts. New ambulances are being procured for this purpose. A few sample cases handled last month given below: 1. Pari Adiwasi Village – Bhurwada Age – 15 years Sometime in November 2020, while she was working on a farming machine, her dupatta got stuck in it, and she was strangled. Her parents went to Kota where tracheostomy was done and a pipe was fixed in her throat for breathing. However, her condition had not improved and from Kota she was referred to Jaipur government hospital, but her parents could not take her there due to financial constraints. Parivaar Seva Kutir was started in Pari’s village Bhurwada on 20th February 2021. We identified her case soon after this and without any further delay, took her along with her father to Jaipur in our vehicle. The doctor there prescribed some blood tests which we got done, and then met him again. After seeing the reports, he asked us to come after mid-April as it takes around 6 months after tracheostomy for further treatment. 2. Reena Adiwasi Village – Madanpur Age – 8 years Reena suffers from a rare form of brittle bone condition, suspected as Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). We found her in Sheopur District Hospital where we had gone in relation to a different case. We got to know from her parents that they had first gone to Karahal Community Health Centre, but no treatment was possible there and she was referred to Sheopur District Hospital. We then met the doctor at Sheopur district hospital but she was again referred to Gwalior medical college as treatment was not possible at Sheopur. Her parents were not willing to go to Gwalior as they did not have any financial means for conveyance, fooding and treatment. But we counseled them and told them that they need not worry about it as Parivaar will take care of all these costs. We then took Reena along with her father to Gwalior but her treatment was not possible even there and she has been referred to AIIMS Delhi for further diagnosis and supportive treatment. We are now planning to take her to AIIMS. 3. Saksham Adiwasi Village – Premnagar Age – 9 year Saksham suffers from partial paralysis of the left side of the body. We took him to Karahal CHC, then to Sheopur District Hospital and then to Gwalior Medical College. His MRI (and other treatment through Ayushman Card) was done to diagnose/confirm the condition. Physiotherapy and medicines for one year have been prescribed. 4. Reshma Adiwasi Village – Bargawa Age – 13 years. This case was identified by the government health team (RBSK). The case is of plastic surgery as she lost her nose to infection arising out of nose piercing. She was referred to Gwalior Medical College from Sheopur District Hospital, but the family was not ready for treatment at Gwalior due to poor financial condition. Parivaar’s team counseled her parents and promised all kinds of support and then took them to Gwalior. However, before surgery she got diagnosed with TB. So we returned the next day. She is now taking medicines for treatment of TB and her surgery has been delayed by around 6 months. 5. Virendra Adiwasi Village – Patonda Age – 8 years A foreign substance (seed of Imli) had got stuck in his ear. We took him to Sheopur district hospital and the seed was removed there. He is now fine.