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Haludbani Medical Camp
Monday, 04 September 2006

A mother and child
A mother and child
This the first camp done in partnership with Telcon Ltd., a large Jamshedpur based earth moving equipment manufacturer. Telcon has been doing charitable work in and around Haludbani and hence this location. They financed the entire cost of the camp. Haludbani is off Ghatshila, approximately 65 kms from Loyola School.

On Sunday, September 3rd, 2006, the day of the camp, it is cloudy and could rain. LAA Medical Camp team assembles at Loyola School and leaves for Haludbani at 7 a.m. sharp.

The team consists of:

  • 2 gynaecologists (Dr. Mrs. Vishaka Verma & Dr. Mrs. Sareeta)
  • 3 physicians {Dr. Surajit De (VP, LAA), Dr. Dinesh Upadhyaya (Secy., LAA), Dr. Suman Kumar Panda, (TMH)}
  • 1 dermatologist (Dr. Anand S. Prasad - Exec. Comm. Mem. LAA)
  • 1 ophthalmologist (Dr. B.P. Singh - HOD TMH)
  • 1 Paedriatic (Dr. Mohan Kumar - Exec. Comm. Mem. LAA)
  • The paedriatician with a long que of students
    The paedriatician with a long que of students
    2 pharmacists (Mr. Deepak Nayak & Mr. Ajit Gantait from TMH)
  • 1 Administration (Mr. Arnab Banerjee Exec. Mem. LAA and Convenor of the Medical Sub-Committee)
  • 2 Logistics (Mr. Rajiv Agarwal Mem. Exec. Com. LAA & Mr. Amiya Das)
Fr. A. Vattamatam, SJ,  Principal, Loyola School and President, LAA, a regular at such camps is also there.

There are 4 vehicles (2 Sumos, 1 Bolero, 1 Safari) to carry the team, medicines & equipments. In 25 minutes we are the Reliance A1 Dhaba, where we stop for breakfast and tea. We are joined by a Mr. Peter Bonerjea, Head Corporate Communications of Telcon and member LAA, and other executives from the company. The breakfast takes longer than expected and reach the destination by 10 am amidst heavy rains and poor road condition.

The pharmacists distributing medicines
The pharmacists distributing medicines
The local members of the Art of Living, an organisation of Shree Shree Ravishankar's followers, are waiting for us. The location is a red building. A shamiana has been put up in front of it. The winds and rains blow the shamiana away and we are forced to move inside a small hall which is congested, suffocating with  patients (some inside & others lined up at the entrance and that is how we have to manage. Hundreds of Adivasis including children from in and around have assembled to have themselves checked.

The patients are requested to come in a que. They are directed to a specialist according to their ailment. The doctors get on to their tasks without wasting a minute, they know they have many to look after. This time, Dr. Mohan Kumar, specially burdened since he is lone paedriatician and and there are many children. There is a problem with drinking water, it is murky and Dr. Surajit De advises against it. So we work for 5 hours at a stretch without drinking water.

The LAA team - making it possible
The LAA team - making it possible
The medicines, disposables and gynaecological equipment were sponsored by Telcon Ltd. The contraceptive pills, condoms, medicines for worms and vitamin A drops for children were obtained from the Civil Surgeon's office.

Total number of patients treated and medicines distributed to were over 1,000. The turnout could have been more if it had not rained in between.

Twenty patients with eye and cataract problems were referred to TMH by Dr. B.P. Singh. Seven of them turned up and were successfully operated upon, free of charge, by Dr. Singh himself. One child affected by congenital cardiac disease was advised ultrasonography of the heart by Dr. Mohan Kumar, the cost of which was borne by LAA.
 
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