Badulla Project Report: April 2009

1st Medical Health Clinic Report - HNS project – Badulla.

Background to the programe: We had to shitted the programme from the scheduled location at Rilpola DS division to Bandarawela Broughton Estate and the Balagaha Alle Estate. Those two locations are far away from the Badulla district office; it is about 50kmrs, due to sudden changes occurred to the programme from the local political influents. Respectively the said locations were not come across none of humanitarian interventions for duration of 30 years and 13 years.

The first of the above Free General Health Clinics was held at, the Broughton .G.P.T.S. building from 09.30 a.m. to 03.00 p.m. while the second F.G.H.C. was held at the Balagaha Alle G.P.T.S. from 04.00p.m. to 06.30p.m. The above mentioned Dr. Jesudasan undertook as the coordinator for the arrangement of the medical team needed and all the pharmaceutical items that needed for the Free General Health Clinics.

Date held: - 29th Sunday March, 2009.

Venues: 1. Broughton Government Primary Tamil School Building.

2. Balagaha Alle Government Primary Tamil School Building.

The medical officers was comprised of 1. Dr. T. Jesudasan, MBBS, General Hospital, Colombo- Chief medical officer 2. Dr, S. Ravi, MBBS 3. Dr. T. Ananthaswarmy, MBBS, General Hospital, Kandy 4. Dr. P. Chandrajan. MBBS, Hatton Government Hospital 5. Dr. D.Logeswaran. MBBS, Nawalapitiya, Government Hospital Pharmacy assistants 1. Ms. A.J Christina.

2. Ms. G.A Thanuja Dayarathne.

3. Nurse Ms. R.M.P Rajanayagam Brief analysis on Broughton estate: The Broughton Estate where the first G.H.C. was held, as a business entity itself, the plantation business had been closed down and ceased for almost 30 long years, even though, we still call it an estate, after the Englishman who owned the solitary estate had abandoned the entity and left back for England for some or other reason the person himself. As it was one of the non working estates, the estate dwellers at Broughton, didn’t have their employment as estate workers for a so considerable period of time, after the English planter had gone. So that’s 1

how they became a neglected community from long since, after all. The fathers and also mothers had to go outside of the estate to look for manual work as their main livelihood for their meager day’s income. Their voice is really so much unheard thing still and so far. They need care. Their line houses are not maintained for years. Access road to the estate and within the estate is in very much poor condition and not maintained for years. The water supply has to be developed and upgraded, and also the sanitation amenities as well. They need more awareness on matters like how to refrain from taking to alcoholism, which issue is prevailing as a problem, presently. The team noticed that the malnutrition among the children also is prevailing which needs to be immediately addressed. Also the matter of health habits among all is to be enhanced too. Above said Broughton estate community has to walk about 6 kilometers to the nearest hospital.

Broughton Estate Free Medical Health Clinic

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As mentioned above, this could be commenced by 09.30 a.m. on that day. The first stage was to register the would be patients or those who were willing to be medically examined by the qualified doctors, which opportunity they seemed to consider as a great opportunity they were offered on goodwill terms indeed.

The number of patients received treatment was 248, and Ms. Sarojini the school teacher and several others who had visited the venue pointed out that, the number could have been even higher if it wasn’t a working day that day (even though the day was a Sunday the workers were offered to work as the season was of extra high tea leaf crop. And the notification given was a bit short too, they thought.)

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All the age groups were represented young and old, in many in number and all those visited were not patients or not for treatment otherwise, as there was the health awareness session too, by the doctors, to be at. All the accumulated number of visitors, to the venue on that day was almost some 450 or so.

The merit goes to all the segments of the working team that, the venue turned to be an O.P.D. of a hospital in no time. Consultancy room was there, pharmaceutical department there and helping staff were there at work.

One doctor even seemed volunteering to carry on his shoulders, a corrugated carton full of drugs from vehicle to the venue.

All there were so seemed to be committed. 02.00 p.m. to 02.30 p.m. or so the team had a hurried lunch, before working another half an hour or so and leaving for the second G.H.C. at Balagaha Alle, as the same team was to serve the two programmes.

Report on Balagaha Alle G.H.C. The programme could be commenced by 04.00 p.m.

Dr. Jesudasan presented the community health awareness session first, to the audience.

The venue or the Balagaha Alle Tamil Primary School soon became a hub of activity as it was there at, Broughton School previously on that same day.

About 550 community members had visited altogether, while a number of 310 received treatment. No party wanted to send anyone those who sought treatment or the doctor’s care, unattended. By 06.30 everybody was compelled to join in the winding up of the programme as the approaching time was prohibiting indeed.

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All those families who received the treatment from the G.H.C. also received a hygienic kit free of charge which each pack included the following items. In total 558 members at both health clinics from each family were received a hygiene item pack, which comprised of following items, 1.

Lux 75g.

2.

Sunlight 120g.

3.

Signal tooth brush adult

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4.

Signal Herbal 70g.

5.

Siddhalepa 15g.

6.

Shopping bags

The outcome according to the District office point of view.

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The project was in deed offered to the neediest.

The project location is very remote from the nearest town.

The beneficiaries are mostly of meager income groups.

The female participation was high, out of which mothers’ participation was at a considerable level, and also the pregnant mothers were benefited too.

The nearest government hospital is remote from this location where the programme was conducted.

There were so many number of old age patients- some even in their severity too, who had been in very reluctant mood and attitude to go to a hospital in which case they had to travel a considerable distance from their home surroundings spending money and so remained without any medication or treatment to that matter in deed, until now.

So some came with illnesses such as high fever or else, e.g. more severe cases sometimes.

Doctors in particular rendered their service towards this general health clinic, were so dedicated, and had previous experience in regards to this type of community service, who in deed could walk over a distance which a vehicle could not be used, and even were After all, we could think that, as the course of this awareness session so had taught them, they could practice the health habits such as washing hands as it was so advised, and easily as, in the hygienic kits distributed; there they may find items like soap, tooth paste, tooth brush etc.

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Next steps of the programme: Meeting held on 01st April 2009 by 02.00 p.m., at, the office of the P.H.I./Haliela, on how we are proceeding on next stage of this project at Spring Valley Estate. The P.H.I./Haliela promised the entire prior authorisatioal task to be undertaken himself, e.g. having the due permission etc. after New Year the details schedule of the programme will be finalized.

Target Area: - Sprinwlle Group - Hali Ella.

Namely, the specific estate sector areas those included in and considered as where the target population is really living are as follows:1.

Nawala wathta

2.

Pudumala Division

3.

Mamala Division

4.

Nalla mala Division

The target area is found its place in the Haliela Divisional Secretariat Division, and in the Badulla District, which is in the Uva Province.

The Target population is some 1000 no. of families (which is comprised of some 200 Sinhala families & 800 Tamil families), those targeted and covered by this Project.

Target population, their occupation wise: - estate laborers /other forms of manual workers/farming Present Issues and problems analysis 1. Existence of a number of low income families.

2. High incidence of Dental, eye and chronic diseases in the area.

3. Minimum conditions at the Rural Hospital available.

4. High incidence of malnutrition among the children living in the estate.

5. Low awareness on health, nutrition and sanitation among the adult community.

6. Low awareness on health promoting behavioral patterns among the children as a whole.

7. Low awareness on how they would effectively use and manage their rich surroundings towards a nutritional daily meal.

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8. Minimum conditions of infrastructure in the four schools in the vicinity, e.g. water supply system and sanitation facilities are deteriorated and unusable.

School facilities available:1. Mamala Tamil Vidyalaya. – No. of inmate students registered are 240 students.

2. Wewelhinna Tamil Primary Vidyalaya is with 300 no. of students.

3. Nawala waththa Tamil Primary Vidyalaya is with 60 no. of students.

4. Baddegama Sinhala Vidyalaya is with 260 no. of students.

Pre schools available:1. Nawala waththa pre school Tamil medium is with 15 kids.

2. Pudumala pre school Tamil medium is with 22 kids.

3. Mamala pre school Tamil medium is with 20 kids.

4. Nalla mala. pre school Tamil medium is with 18 kids

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