Kolhapur Medical and Healthcare Camp 2016
A famous saying says “Giving is the best communication” and the Medical and Healthcare Camp held every year for the remote villages of Kolhapur district epitomizes it. Dating back to the year 2004 the Dilasa Medical Trust & Rehabilitation Centre, as its name goes, has been working to provide the much needed support and compassion to the working and labour classes who need it the most in the remote areas of Kolhapur and its adjoining districts. Sister organizations like Shree Aniruddha Upasana Foundation and others have also been involved in this ‘one of its kind’ of relief activity which doesn’t restrict itself to the limelight of 2 days of the Camp but is conducted throughout the year.
Kolhapur incidentally is one of the most well-to-do districts in India yet there are many remote places where even basic necessities viz., electricity and lines of communication haven’t yet reached. And it is these areas in which Dilasa Medical Trust & Rehabilitation Centre conducts its Medical and Rehabilitation Camp. This year the Camp is to start from tomorrow i.e. 21st February 2016 and would be held over 2 days, till 22nd February 2016.
Sprawling over more than 90,000 sq. ft. the Camp is a much awaited event in these areas as it offers a complete and holistic healthcare to almost 60,000 villagers from almost 85 villages. Medical and healthcare services from a multitude of branches viz., dentistry, ophthalmology, general medicine, x-ray, pharmacy, paediatrics, ENT, cardiology, gynaecology, dermatology, homeopathy, surgery, pathology, etc. is provided to all the villagers for free. More than 150 doctors and close to 175 paramedics will be running these facilities this year. Last year saw almost 13,500 village patients being treated here.
Interestingly the Camp of such magnanimity is totally run only by volunteers coming to the Camp from various centres affiliated to Shree Aniruddha Upasana Foundation from across the world. This year there are almost three thousand volunteers participating in the Camp.
The Camp does not only make provision for the healthcare of the needy villagers but relief material like separate clothing for gents and ladies collected under ‘Juney te Soney’ or the ‘Old is Gold’ program; quilts, sweaters, mufflers, shawls to face the itching winter; everyday hygiene items like – utensil cleaning powder, soaps, combs, lice combs, disinfectant powder, water purifiers, personal hygiene items, etc. are distributed to each and every family and house of these 85 villages. The distribution material is segregated and marked to the detail as per needs of each and every family. This indeed is a humongous and a very critical task. This ensures that the right aid is provided to the needy, no more-no less.
Special attention is provided for the care and welfare of children during the Camp. A separate medical OPD (Outpatient Department) is created for the students. Considering the lower percentages of education in these areas the Camp also tries to solve the root cause of under-education and school-dropouts. Understanding the relation between education and availability of light, footwear, proper school clothing; candles, matchboxes, footwear, caps and uniforms are distributed to almost 10,000 children from almost 133 schools. This has yielded best results for the villagers in these areas. Sports play a very important role in development of children. Hence various sports gears and material are distributed to the school children. This includes material for outdoor games like skipping ropes, rubber rings, lagori balls, toys, footballs, frisbee discs, etc.
Also all the villagers and children who register for the Camp are given a healthy and a sumptuous meal. Detailed arrangements are made for water, cleanliness and sanitation at the campsite. Last year more than 55,000 villagers had availed the benefits of this service.
The entire concept and idea of the Kolhapur Medical & Healthcare Camp is the brainchild of Dr. Aniruddha D. Joshi (M.D. – Medicine) belovedly known to his friends and followers as Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu. It is just out of pure friendship, love and commitment that thousands of his friends actively participate in organizing this camp of such a gigantic scale as volunteers.
The Kolhapur Medical and Healthcare Camp has changed the social, economic, cultural, medical and educational statistics and scenario in this entire region. Year by year it is making the participating villages and their villagers more and more self-dependant and bringing them at par with where the world is going. It is taking them on the path science, education and development, and helping them to conquer the obstacles which were keeping them away from being connected with the world.
(PS: For the next few days, I will be posting the updates in form of photographs, videos and information of the Kolhapur Medical and Healthcare Camp 2016 from my Facebook Page, Twitter handle and blog).
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|| Hari Om || || Shriram || || Ambadnya ||