Time for a Health Break
SEARCH, Gadchiroli
Arogya Swaraj – People’s Health in People’s Hands, fostering health, freedom, and community-driven well-being.
The schoolchildren of Somalpur were halfway through another routine day of classes when they heard the sound of a loudspeaker drift through the village. It was the SEARCH Mobile Medical Unit (MMU), announcing its arrival and services. The MMU team set up a makeshift medical camp in front of the school, and ushered the children in for a health checkup.
Dr. Swati, the medical officer of the MMU, assessed the children one at a time. She inquired to one young girl if she was experiencing itching, especially at night, and the child shook her head no. “Does anyone in your family have itching?” she asked, and the child was unsure how to answer. But after a brief physical assessment, Dr. Swati noticed lesions on the girl’s skin, indicative of an infestation by the scabies mite. Dr. Swati reasoned that the girl and her family likely have scabies, a condition extremely common among young children, so much so that they are desensitized to the discomfort. Because of this, children rarely complain about itching, and if they do, their parents are likely to underestimate the extent of the issue.
Dr. Swati instructed to the girl, “take the tablet today and 15 days from now. And apply the lotion today and 15 days from now.” She explained how the medicines taken today will kill both the current scabies mites, and those of the next life cycle, 15 days from now. Intrigued by this newfound method to alleviate her discomfort, the young girl retrieves the medicines from the pharmacist, and wanders back into the classroom.
Beside scabies, children face a variety of other health issues like malaria and bacterial infection, such as pyoderma. The doctor encourages children to bathe regularly, brush teeth properly, and wash their feet before sleeping. One month later, the young girl with scabies rushed up to Dr. Swati and proudly exclaimed that her treatment was successful, and she is now symptom-free.
This underscores the significance of providing healthcare services directly to the doorsteps in tribal villages, to address the persisting challenges of awareness and access to primary health care.