Medical check up camp for the poor

Courtsey : Times of India - Mulund Powai Plus (www.mumbaipluses.com)

http://www.mumbaipluses.com/mulundpowaiplus/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=4&contentid=2009061220090612162822680e0b63721&sectxslt=&comments=true

Events

Medical check up camp for the poor
Posted On Friday, June 12, 2009 at 04:28:22 PM

by Hamsa Sripathy

Umang, a Mulund based NGO, conducted a medical health check up camp for the underprivileged at Rahul Nagar in Mulund West recently. A team of medical professionals including doctors from JJ and Breach Candy hospitals and students from Nair Hospital assisted senior doctors and technicians from GT Hospital.

Participants were checked on various health parameters and provided medicines too

The objective of the camp was not only to conduct check ups but also to inform and educate the participants on first aid, ill effects of narcotics etc. Medicines were also distributed to participants on the occasion.

The medical examination included:
* Registration
* Height and Weight Measurement
* Peak Flow Test (PFT)
* Spirometry
* Blood Pressure
* Blood Sugar
* Physical examination

The awareness camp was held in the form of skits in local languages, to entertain as well as educate. Some of the topics covered under this were:

* Importance of education
* Ill effects of smoking
* Alcohol abuse
* What should be done in case of dog bite
* How burns can be treated
* Proper and necessary nutrition for healthy body
* Importance of hygiene and sanitation

In all, 314 patients took part in the camp of which a few have been referred to Dr Kalpana Kothari from Mulund West for further treatment. Umang volunteers also organised a drawing competition for more than 100 slum children and distributed nearly 25 prizes for the winners.

"The response was very enthusiastic as slum dwellers could not only avail of health check up but also learn quite a lot. They were able to relate to the characters in the street plays and thus absorb the message better. The camp was a remarkable success and we intend to come up with more such programmes in the future," said Ashish Goyal, founder of Umang Foundation.