Rural Sensitization Programs (RSP) are 3-day camps organized for medical students to explore alternative approaches to healthcare, discuss current issues and also reflect on their role as contributors to the health of our country. Here are two detailed take-aways. By Shubham Verma, University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi “When I saw the brochure of … Continue reading YOUNG DOCTORS, STRONG VOICES – PART I

Until a few months back, when I saw parents coming in with really sick children but not looking concerned enough, it was unbelievable. Since our clinics are located in remote villages, we sometimes need to refer the patient to a hospital better equipped to handle some severe cases. The doctor tells the parents, “This child … Continue reading Dying Children and Dead Living Rooms

It takes effort to put together a resume but more so, to list down your life to achievements, interests and experiences. While listing these down, there’s also a lot of internal loss felt. An attempt to make white out of the rainbow colors (without a prism).And then giving color to the filtered white just so … Continue reading On Not Showing Up

जब हम पहले-पहल किसी काम से जुड़ते हैं, तो वह हमें क्या सिखाता है? समय का प्रबंधन? पैसों का मोल? या दूसरों से जुड़ना, उन्हें साथ जोड़ने का हुनर? पर हमारी किला के पहले औपचारिक काम का पहला पाठ था समता का। दूसरों के बराबर होने के अहसास का। इस अहसास ने अपनी अंदरूनी बेड़ियों … Continue reading समता, समानुभूति और समभाव हासिल करने की जद्दोजहद

What can a first job teach you? Time management? Value for money? Better networking skills? For Kila, the first lessons in her first formal job were around equality: these helped break her internal shackles and to come into her being. “Bachpan mei mummy school chorne aati thi lekin main school ke bahar baithi rehti thi. … Continue reading On Women’s Day, Kila’s story: ‘‘Personifying equality, empathy and equanimity- One case at a time”

घटना पाँच महीने पहले की ही है। दो साल के नन्हे केशव (परिवर्तित नाम) को बेडावल के अमृत क्लिनिक में लाया गया (जो सबसे नज़दीकी तहसील सलूम्बर से 25 किमी और उदयपुर से तक़रीबन 100 किमी दूर है)। केशव को गंभीर निमोनिया था और उसे फ़ौरन देखभाल की ज़रूरत थी। क्लिनिक की युवा नर्स शाइस्ता … Continue reading तलाश अपनी पहचान की: शाइस्ता का खूबसूरत सफ़र

Five months ago, Keshav (name changed), a two-year-old boy was brought to Amrit clinic Bedawal (located 25 km from the nearest Tehsil Salumbar, and almost 100 kms from Udaipur), by his parents. He was suffering from severe pneumonia and needed immediate care. Sahista, a primary healthcare nurse at the clinic, tried her best to save … Continue reading On Women’s “Day From searching for support to becoming a pillar of one: Sahista’s beautiful journey of self-discovery”

“यहां आने के बाद मैं बिल्ली से शेर बन गई” । यह थे प्रेमिला के शब्द जिन्होंने हमे रोमांच से भर दिया। (स्वयं के लिए एक स्मरण करने योग्य बिंदु:: वही सामाजिक जंगल जो हम महिलाओं को बिल्ली का आकार देती है, हमें शेरनी भी बना सकती है!) इस डर से आत्मविश्वास के परिवर्तन का … Continue reading प्रेमिला : स्वास्थ्य और खुशहाली, अपने अंदर की महिला की भी

Yahan aane ke baad main billi se sher ban gayi (after I came here, I turned from being a cat to a lion). Stirring words by Premila. (Note to self: the very social jungle that shapes us women into kittens can also lion-ize us!). For her transition from fear to confidence, Premila credits the challenges … Continue reading On Women’s Day ‘Nurse-ing the spirit: Premila’s story’

छरहरे बदन ओर छोटी कद-काठी वाली रत्नी बाई, सिर पर सामान लादे, पचास मीटर की ऊँचाई फ़र्राटे से चढ़ जाती है। घुमावदार पहाड़ी पथ पर तकरीबन दस मिनट और चलने पर हम फुलवारी तक पहुँच जाते हैं। फुलवारी अरावली की गोद में बसी मोरवल पंचायत की हाथिया तलाई ढ़ाणी में है। कच्ची झोंपड़ी में चल … Continue reading रत्नीबाई: एक अटूट मिसाल अंदरूनी ताकत की

Ratni, somewhat frail and short, quickly climbed up the elevation of 50 meters with a sack of goods placed on her head. She led the way and we followed. Treading a curvaceous hilly path for almost ten minutes, we soon reached the Phulwari (literally translates to- a bed of flowers- which is a daycare centre … Continue reading On Women’s Day ‘A hidden jewel in Morwal Hills: Say Hello to Ratni Bai”

मेरा ध्यान रामलाल की आँखों की ओर गया। एक, क्योंकि वे सुनहरे-हरे रंग की थी, जो कि कुछ अलग ही हैं। दूसरा, क्योंकि वे जल्द ही लाल हो गई। यह लाली भावनाओं की थी, व्यथा की भावना की, उपाश्रित होने की व्यथा की, मानपुर के उपाश्रित की, सलूंबर के मानपुर की – जो उदयपुर से … Continue reading रामलाल की कहानी : जोश और होश

My attention was drawn to Ramlal’s eyes. One, because they are yellow-green, a rather unusual shade. Two, because they soon turned red. It was the red of emotion, the emotion of anguish, the anguish of the subaltern, the subaltern of Manpur, the Manpur of Salumbar, two hours away from Udaipur. From the outset, this meeting … Continue reading On Women’s Day ‘Ramlal’s story: Josh. Hosh’

धधकती और चकाचौंध करती सड़कों से बहुत दूर, जैसे-जैसे पहाड़ियों की चढ़ाई और ढलान आती जा रही थीं, जंगलों और झरनों ने खजूर के पेड़ों से भरे एक समतल जगह को रास्ता दे दिया। यह रावछ था, जो आदिवासीयों द्वारा बसा एक दूरदराज स्थित गाँव है। उदयपुर की गोगुन्दा तहसील में है। एक व्यक्ति अपने … Continue reading गंगा की कहानी : हम जो पोषित करते हैं

Way past the blazing tarmac and its mirages, as the hills sloped up and down, the forests and streams gave way to a plateau dotted with date palms. This was Rawachh, a somewhat-remote, tribal-inhabited village in the Gogunda tehsil (district) of Udaipur. A man had undertaken a 50-kilometer journey from his far-away village in Kotra … Continue reading On Women’s Day ‘Ganga’s story: What We Nurture’

Our lives connect us with so many pathologies, day after day. Some of these, we deal through medicines, some with a human connect and then there are conditions we make peace with vicariously. Through stories which enrich and uplift. With one story each day, the following 7 days will lead up to Women’s day. This … Continue reading CELEBRATING WOMEN WHO ARE CHANGEMAKERS

Written by Pradeepa Sekar I asked my 100th patient of the day, a pregnant woman with a charming face about how she was doing. And she let out a long sigh and said I am well. We both looked into each other’s eyes for a moment and burst out laughing at our hidden truths. It … Continue reading A Girl’s Perspective

By Pavitra Mohan and Naina Seth “According to a study by researchers at the Public Health Foundation of India data, the expenditure on healthcare in India pushes 55 million people into poverty every year, a testimony to the need for affordable healthcare. At the same time, public expenditure on health is declining. In 2018-19, healthcare … Continue reading The long road to the ‘Right to Health’ in India

Written by Srividya Ramanathan, Research Assistant, IIM Udaipur This blog is part of the series of blogs on Aspur Project under the Primary Healthcare Initiative (PHI), a partnership between Basic Healthcare Services and Centre for Healthcare. Srividya has elaborately explained her observations during the visit with the Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC) at Harvar Block in Aspur … Continue reading Notes from Harvar: A descriptive and evaluative observation of a VHSNC meeting