My experience of attending a health camp

Last year in September, JMCH in association with Pinkishe foundation organised a health camp at Toklai tea estate. I had a great time being a part of it. It was a very different and enlightening experience for all of us. 

Toklai tea estate is situated in Jorhat, Assam. The local people living there  mostly belong to the tea garden community and work in the tea estate. The main aim of our visit was to raise awareness among the women about menstrual hygiene and about the use of sanitary napkins. Some interactive sessions followed by general health check-up and free distribution of sanitary napkins and medicines were also part of the program. We were guided by our seniors and Pinkishe foundation, an organisation for women empowerment. They are working to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene among the Indian women.

The girls and women who took part in the program were of the age group 13 to 50 years. We checked their weight, measured their blood pressure and then asked whether they are facing any health issues. We tried to give them the best advice possible by us. We distributed medicines and advised them how and when to take those. Sanitary napkins were also provided to everyone.

Along with that we tried to make them aware about the importance of maintaining hygiene during menstruation. Most of the women said they use cloth instead of pads. It is something we expected to hear because we are aware that not a big proportion of women have access to pads in India. In rural areas or for people with low socio-economic conditions sanitary napkins are either a luxury or there is a stigma related to its use. Women are shy to even talk about menstruation which is a nothing but a physiological process. They're too ashamed to discuss about it. Using cloth during menstruation can give rise to infections if the cloth is not washed properly and if poorly dried. Also, it is very uncomfortable to work, attend school, play and do everyday activities while using a cloth. So it is high time for us to raise awareness about it. After all, a healthy daughter will someday become a healthy mother. 

One of the most important health issues faced by women is the low amount of hemoglobin in blood leading to anemia. Therefore, we also provided iron and folic acid tablets along with other medicines. A number of women who work in the tea gardens complaint of fungal infection so we provided then some ointments. Talking about menstrual health, the women and girls were very reluctant to discuss about it. So we tried to approach them personally or in small groups so that they can feel free to discuss their problems. We urged them to visit the nearby health centres if they face any health related issues. We advised them to eat healthy food. The importance of hand hygiene and the steps of hand washing were also taught to them. We also tried to make them aware about the importance of immunization.  Overall the program was a successful one.

I will always cherish this day because for the first time I got to interact with people on the grassroots level. I could see the health problems the women and children of our country is facing and we tried to help them a bit. I look forward to attend many more such health camps so that I can meet new people, learn from them and share experiences.

Thank you so much for reading.