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2009 Summary
2009 begun with a bang: renovated clinic, many plans and fresh team to boot. Of this new team, important inclusions were our new health educator, Jirendra and nurse Aarti. Both of these staff are experienced in their respective fields and are familiar with the local villages and problems that arise within them. Now that 2009 has been and gone, they both proved to be wonderful new additions to the Niranjana team, and they intend to stay on for years to come. The health team is now a solid group of dedicated, intelligent and compassionate individuals who work well together to get the best from each situation they face. They do not leave one question unanswered and do their very best to keep all the village people healthy and consequently content.
One of the most important parts of our clinic is our village lessons which we give 2-3 times per week. Each time, a different village is visited by our team and a lesson is given regarding a health issue. Along with this lesson in the community, individuals who are unable to physically reach our medical clinic are seen to by the doctor, and other health concerns of the villagers are also addressed. These have proven to be successful this year, with many villagers following up on our advice. Jitendra has been keeping organized and taking notes of each lesson as well as recording the names of those in attendance. In this way, he and the rest of the staff have got to really know each of the villages in our block as well as whom the individuals are that are willing to work with us for health promotion and education.
Here is a list of the lessons we have given this year as well as a brief run down of what was covered in each:
Lessons:
Diarrhoea and Dysentery Prevention. In this lesson emphasis was mainly put on hand washing; especially before eating. There was also information given for how to avoid these diseases in using fresh, flowing water supplies and how to treat the symptoms if they arise.
Insect bites. Treatment with Imli seed.
Malaria. Lesson on the signs, symptoms, mode of transmission and prevention. Main focus was promoting the malaria vaccine, which the staff have quoted that 80% of villagers have. This costs 50Rs in government hospitals. It was recommended to not have too much stagnant water around and to keep the house clean, as not to attract mosquito’s.
Polio. Promotion for the vaccination for those who did not already have. Information on the disease and its modes of transmission were also discussed.
Small Pox Prevention. The key lesson here was isolation! The sufferer has been advised to sleep and reside away from other villagers while sick. It was also stressed that the living situation must be clean, with the sheets and clothing changed and washed daily as to avoid contamination. This is all especially important in children. The Neem plant (see below) is known to be very effective against this as it has strong antibacterial properties and also helps to purify the blood, so this is highly recommended to use. Washing hands again is a crucial lesson here.
Jaundice/Bilia. The villagers were taught of the signs and symptoms of this disease and what to look out for. The message then was clear: Come to see the doctor or go to hospital. It was also taught that curd and cane juice are good foods to help support the liver. It was recommended that the sufferer of jaundice is to avoid all spicy and rich foods and also to have only small amounts of salt. If this disease is present for a prolonged period of time, it may turn in to hepatitis which is why care MUST be sought.
Sunstroke. Take precaution. Local treatment for this is mangoes. Both used topically and to be eaten. Water also of utmost importance. Onion paste is also highly effective and it is heard that you will be hard pressed to find a farmer in the fields here without an onion in his pocket!
Asthma. Avoid smoke, alcohol, banana and curd to help prevent this lung disease.
Electric Shock. Avoid electricity in the rain. If you do get shocked, apply tulsi (see below) to the scalp and face.
Cough, Cold and Pneumonia. This is a regular lesson given regarding virus transmission, prevention, local remedies for treatment and when to head to the doctor.
Local Remedies:
For thousands of years, Indian culture accords great importance to trees and nature. Ayurveda records their valuable contribution. In rural areas, they make an integral part of social life. Most of our religious ceremonies and festivals include worship of trees like neem, peepul, banyan, asopalav. Among all herbs, Tulsi occupies the most respected and important position.
Tulsi, which is Sanskrit for "the incomparable one", and often referred to as “holy basil”, is worshiped daily throughout India. Tulsi is a herbal remedy that has great healing power due to producing 24 hour oxygen. The leaves are a nerve tonic and also sharpen memory. They promote the removal of the catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tube. The leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious perspiration. The seed of the plant are mucilaginous. Common ailments treatable by Tulsi include: Fever & Common Cold, Coughs, Sore Throat, Respiratory Disorder, Kidney Stone, Heart Disorder, Children's Ailments (cough cold, fever, diarrhea, vomiting and chicken pox), Stress, Mouth Infections, Insect Bites, Skin Disorders (like ringworm and leucoderma), Teeth Disorder, Headaches and Eye Disorders (due to vitamin A deficiency).
Neem is popularly known as the miracle tree. The Sanskrit name of Neem is Arishtha meaning the reliever of the sickness. Each part of Neem is used in the medicines. Neem oil extracted from its seeds is used in medicines, pest control and cosmetics etc. Its leaves are used in the treat Chickenpox. Neem tea is usually taken to reduce the headache and fever. Its flowers are used to cure intestinal problems. Neem bark acts as an analgesic and can cure high fever as of malaria. Skin diseases like acne can be cured from the Neem leaves. Indians even believe that the Neem can even purify diseases. People in India use its twigs to brush their teeth.
2010 Plan
2010 plans to continue on the same wave as 2009, but we’re stepping it up a notch. Now that many of the basic and easy to approach topics have been covered in our health lessons, its really time to get to the more complex issues. We feel that the staff now have gathered enough trust in the villages, that more difficult topics can be discussed without too much animosity from the locals.
These are the topic related to sexual health, alcohol abuse and family/social issues. There also will be a large component of the year focused on nutrition. Jitendra has a dream to change the nutrition in the villages for good, and these lessons combined with our agriculture program will hopefully begin to do this in 2010.
Topics we plan on covering this year in our lessons: (note, many of last years will be revisited, for their importance can not be stressed enough, and due to the lack of education with many of our villagers, it’s important to ensure they really do understand what we are trying to teach)
NUTRITION
HIV and STI’s
HEP A, B and Typhoid
PREGNANCY – from pre conception to 1 year post natal
INFANT, CHILDHOOD and ADOLESCENT HEALTH
ALCOHOL – the social and health effects of drinking
DENTAL
We also plan to start monthly lessons at our school. We believe that all of our topics are just as important for children to learn, and we have seen the effects first hand of an educated child in an uneducated family and how beneficial this can be. We also wish to teach all of the senior students about sexual health issues., we cant ignore the fact that many of our student marry soon after completing school, and with birthing defects and HIV so prevalent in our region we cant afford to let them graduate without knowing all the facts.
Community Health Committees
Please follow the link to learn more about these committees. This was a pilot program in 2009, which failed to get underway, but as we speak the committee for2010 is getting put together and identity cards for all members are being made.
Training 2010
This year we are sending all our staff off for further training.
Currently only our doctor and nurse are educated in HIV, but soon all staff will have this knowledge. The other 6 staff will undergo a 7 day course plus a few smaller ones. The Pilgrim Hospital, the Red Cross and the Root Institute will be supplying our training courses and we are grateful that they run such handy training for people in positions like us.
This means that soon all staff will be trained in HIV and maternal health, first aid, nutrition and more. We also will have more staff trained in giving vaccinations and taking the vitals of the patients as well as the medical administration.
How You Can Help
All of these upgrades to our clinic come at a cost. The training for all of our staff this year will come to just over 200USD, and it is at our staff’s request that a digital camera be donated to enable them to capture their lessons to share on the website etc. rather than relying on volunteers being present and interested.