Community health Programme in Sundarban

Mr. Bishnupado , 70 years old lives in Narendrapur village of Nandakumarpur Gram Panchayat (GP) with his wife. He has one daughter who is marriage and lives with her husband. In his young age he was involved in agriculture, which was his main source of livelihood. Since few months he has been suffering from respiratory problem with cough. One day he felt fever and temperature raised to 4° F and he became bed-ridden. Within a few days he found that, blood is coming out with cough. Bishnupado became anxious for such complications and thinking to attend doctor; but he is a poor man and don’t have required money for treatment. One day he decided to sale part of his agricultural land for his treatment. One of his neighbors advised him, “If you want to attend good doctor then go to some reputed health institution in Kolkata like P.G. hospital”.

Bishnupado thought, his neighbor advised rightly and he sold part of his land; and with the help of his wife and one neighbor attended doctor at P.G. hospital at Kolkata. The doctor examined him thoroughly and prescribed medicine, advised some pathological tests and USG. As per the USG report, one kidney of Bishnupado was damaged and doctor diagnosed as ‘Nephritis’. Bishnipado came back his village and continued taking medicine as advised by the P.G. hospital. After a couple of weeks he found that, he was not cured, even gradually becoming more and more weak. His skin of entire body was irrupted and cracked, lost his weight and strength. He was not in a position to walk, even speak.

One day morning, with the advice of health worker of community health programme he was carried to RHTC by van rickshaw. The attending doctor in OPD examined him and after knowing all the facts and going through the test & USG reports the doctor changed all the medicines, which Bishnupado was taking for nephritis. The doctor found, one kidney of Bishnupado was normal and he started general treatment for him. Within a week, Bishnupado found him better, gradually got back his strength to walk and at the time of his next doctor’s visit he came on foot with his wife. Presently Bishnupado is quite better; feels confidence on the doctor of RHTC and continuing treatment, which is needed for few more weeks. He quoted, “I have lost part of my land but it could have been better if, I could come at RHTC earlier.”