Report: Medical Camp at Whitefield (27 May 2011)
(Sponsored by Qualcomm, Bangalore)
In March/April 2011, the Qcares team at Qualcomm, Bangalore had a discussion with Youth for Seva (YFS) regarding how Qualcomm could contribute towards a project aimed at community Development. The discussions yielded a decision to organize a Medical camp, and subsequent follow-up treatments, for slum-dwellers at Vijaynagar area, Whitefield. Qualcomm would contribute monetarily towards the camp and treatments, as well as have employees volunteer on the day of the camp; YFS would organize the camp and facilitate treatments. On the chosen date of 27th May, the medical camp was successfully organized. A report about the same follows:
Date: 27th May, 2011
Time: 10:30 A.M to 4:00 P.M
Venue: Govt. Primary School, Vijaynagar area, Whitefield
Camp components and Medical teams involved:
a. General Medical check-up
Team of 4 from Lions Airport City Hospital, Munnekalola, Bangalore:
Dr.Asha, Dr.Kausar (General Practitioners)
Sister Tunga
Mr.Gopal (Medical Social Worker)
b. Dental screening and treatments
Team of 7 from Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Vydehi Institute of Dental Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore:
Dr.Mayur Nath Reddy, Dr.Deepti, Dr.Natraj, Dr.Manasa, Dr.Devika, Dr.Anusha
Mr.Dinesh (Technician)
c. Eye screening
Team of 5 from Nethradhama Eye Hospital, Indiranagar, Bangalore:
Dr. C Harsha
Mr.Mahesh, Mr.Vasanth Kumar
Mr.Siddappa (Driver)
Qualcomm Volunteers present (25):
Shanti, Anoosh, Venugopal, Prateeksha, Priyanka, Shraddha, Soumya, Archana, Shaji, Gudla, Priyanka, Badrinath, Hareesh, Shivaqami Parasuram, Upma, Mahesh Kumar, Amith, Akshay, Asha, Waheeda, Sowmya, Shwetha, Daaman, Prashanth
YFS Volunteers present (7):
Vaishnavi, Pragya, Swathi, Rahul, Darpan, Sinu, Anand
Volunteers from Keshava Seva Samithi involved (13):
Ramesh, Devraj, Murthy, Gopi, Balu, Shyam, Venkatesh, Manjunath, Senthil, Zameer, Mohan, Muniappa, Murugesh
Number of people screened: 318
Most of these people screened came from Vijayanagar and the neighbouring Gandhipura area. Thanks to volunteers from Keshava Seva Samithi for the ground-work done in the way of spreading the word about the camp, including a door-to-door survey to inform people.
Treatment and further referral numbers:
Plan for referral treatments:
• Dental referrals
These shall be taken up at Vydehi Dental Hospital at subsidized rates. Patients have been given referral cards, which entitles them to these subsidized treatments. They have been requested to avail of the same on their own.
• Spectacles
An order has been placed to procure spectacles for the 52 people requiring them, at the rate of Rs.170/- per head. Once ready, these shall be distributed to them (likely date: 4th June).
• Eye Referrals
Keshava Seva Samithi have arranged for B.W Lions’ Superspecialty Eye Hospital, J.C Road, to take up the eye referrals, including cataract surgeries, for free. This shall happen in the week starting 30th May.
• Other (General) referrals
Lions’ Airport City Hospital shall offer free consultation for patients referred from the camp. We are yet to finalise a plan for further treatments, although they have informed us that their usual course of action is to charge the patient based on their economic status. A plan for this is to be charted out.
Acknowledgements:
Our sincere thanks to the following groups of people, without which the success of the camp would not have been possible:
The teams from Vydehi Institute of Dental Sciences, Nethradhama and Lions’ Airport City Hospital for conducting the screening on the day of the camp
Volunteers from Keshava Seva Samithi, with special mention to Mr.Ramesh, Mr.Venkatesh, Mr.Gopi and Mr.Devraj, for the venue arrangements, informing people about the camp, excellent hospitality, and for helping run the camp smoothly
Qualcomm, Bangalore, and the Qcare team, right from making the camp possible through financial support, to the constant inputs leading up to the organization of the camp, and the excellent work done by the volunteers on the day of the camp