Physical Health India Project #27985

Healthcare to 12,000 poor in rural Bangalore

by Bangalore Baptist Hospital Society

Project Report | Jun 15, 2021
You power our efforts to innovate healthcare to the poor

By Carolin George | Head, Community Health Division

Nanachamma is so joyful to see the doctor

Dear donors,

Thank you for sprucing our efforts to innovate healthcare for the rural community, especially during the second wave of COVID-19. Alongside the effects of COVID, the community must find ways to protect themselves from further complications of diabetes and hypertension.

For the past few years, you have continually supported our Smile on Wheels project that took healthcare to the doorstep of the poor. With the arrival of COVID, the spread of the infection, lockdowns, and social distancing mushroomed, compelling us to halt the Smile on Wheels. However, people with complications of diabetes and hypertension were left without regular testing and medications which could lead to further complications. Therefore, we had to interchange the Smile on Wheels with e-consultations in the rural villages and urban slums.

It is sad to think that someone in a village or urban slums may not know that their diabetes and hypertension are at dangerous levels. It could be the sweet and loveable 70-year old widow like Nanchamma or a familied person struggling to provide for his family—like Muniraju.

"My medicines dried up; I was not sure if my diabetes and blood pressure were normal or way above," said Nanchamma when our healthcare worker Krishnamurthy met her in her house. Nanchamma's sullen face and disturbed mind were injected with fear and anxiety. "I haven't seen your doctor's face for the past two months," she said. Krishnamurthy told her about our e-consultation, and she could attend when we hold it next in her village. She shook her head in affirmation, though she clearly had doubts about his assurance.

Nanchamma arrived for the e-consultation. She sat among the cluster of the other community members who had gathered. When the phone rang, she couldn't believe her eyes. She sprang from her chair, pranced towards the mobile and greeted the doctor. "I cannot believe it. Now I can talk to you?" she asked the doctor. She spoke endlessly about her dizziness, pain, loneliness, and healthcare dearth during COVD-19.

After the first e-consultation and the medicines in hand, she already had more pep in her step. Although quiet and timid upon arrival, she left the hospital a spunky soul who was always smiling and giggling, anticipating freshness in her life.

45-year-old Muniraju's blood pressure and diabetes increased to a high level during COVID. But since he had a cold, no nearby clinics or hospitals were ready to treat him. An agriculturist, he was worried about not being able to work in his field. "I didn't know where we would get our next meal," he said. Nandish, our healthcare worker, advised him to join the e-consultation. Not only did we treat him for his diabetes and blood pressure, Nandish regularly checked on his temperature and oxygen level, even though he tested negative. Muniraju is excited about returning to his field, and the entire family is relieved that healthcare through e-consultation was at their doorstep. They have buried their bag of worries and are working their way to lead healthy and pleasant life.

With your support, we conducted 779 e-consultations from March to May 2021. Our e-consultations are swelling the joy of the community, flooding relief and dotting their life with a puddle of resources to lead a healthy life.

Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated through this trying time so that we can continue to care for those who so desperately need hope and healing.

With gratitude,

Carolin George

Head – Community Health Division

Nanchamma (in a red saree) at the e-consultation

Nanchamma receives her medicines

Munirajau clad in a white shirt at the centre

Sanitising procedure at the e-consultation

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Feb 17, 2021
Your love makes all the difference

By Carolin George | Head, Community Health Division

A patient receives e-consultation

Dear donors,

Thank you for your continued support. Amidst all the chaos created by COVID, your love and care spread many miles and touched lives.

E-mobile clinics

In rural areas of Bangalore, there's no such thing as a quick trip to the doctor. That's a luxury most cannot afford, and distance to a healthcare centre is another barrier. COVID has made it even more difficult.

Before the spread of COVID-19, our Smile on Wheels, along with a team of doctors and nurses travelled to villages to provide preventive medical services. However, after COVOD-19, we feared that if a team of doctors and nurses travel from the hospital, it would risk the community. Therefore, to ensure the community stays safe from COVID and also continue to provide basic healthcare, we began our e-consultations. In the case of any emergency or complications that we cannot solve over e-consultations, our team would travel to the villages, or we will bring the patients to our hospital.

We conduct e-mobile clinics monthly in each village. Our healthcare workers visit each village, identifying people who have ailments or the community leaders connect people who need our support. For those with diabetes and blood pressure, our healthcare workers take the reading and connect them to our doctors. Similarly, for any other ailments too, they can get connected through our e-consultations. Thus, the community save money, time and travel cost involved in reaching any healthcare centres or hospitals.

So, you brought the doctors to them through 601 e-consultation, making it possible for people to receive medical care, for the past three months along with the necessary medicines at a concessional rate.

A fresh start to life

40-year old Manjunath from a rural village in Bangalore can't stop thanking the "kampooter doctor sir” (an online doctor) for asking him about his health, prescribing the right medicine and also checking on his diet, which brought down his blood pressure and diabetes.

"I need a monthly check-up and you visiting our village and connecting me to a doctor is like magic. And now we can see and talk to the doctor," he says with an amused smile, to our healthcare worker, Madhu.

With assured healthcare at his doorstep, Manjunath works confidently in his field, yielding happiness, good health, and a bountiful harvest.

Thank you for helping us hold e-consultations in the villages.

Living with hope

"Life is difficult," whispered the 84-year old Narasamma, gazing at the ground. Raja, our healthcare worker, had to lean forward to hear her feeble voice. "I wasn't expecting anyone to come and help me. Seeing you makes me live with hope," says the teary-eyed Narasamma.

"Narasamma is a widow, living alone. She recently lost her only son. Her struggles mirror her weathered skin, wrinkles and puffed eyes. You gave Narasamma hope through our e-consultation. She need not travel ten kilometres to reach a healthcare centre. Instead, she speaks to our doctors from her home, clears all her doubts, and the pharmacist present during the e-consultation in villages immediately distributes the medicines.

Raja's visits rejoice her heart, and Narasamma lives with hope.

Together, we have reached many exciting milestones in the past. Could we kindly ask you to continue and share work with your family and friends who may be keen to support? Thank you for your support and for being there for us and helping us carry out this amazing work and transform lives.

With gratitude,

Dr Carolin George

A vibrant and healthy Manjunath with his harvest

Narasamma is relieved to get her medicines

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Oct 20, 2020
Groceries and healthcare bring smiles to many

By Carolin George | Head, Community Health Division

Cheerful Chowdappa after we distributed groceries

Dear donors,

Greetings from Bangalore Baptist Hospital. We hope you and your family are safe.

As of today, Karnataka is listed as the second-highest state in India to record the number of COVID-19 cases. In our daily work–we hear the despairing cry of a mother, a wife and a husband echoing having lost their loved ones. Painful episodes of positive people. Children without the luxury of e-learning, confused and blank. As you have experienced over the last months, life became more complicated. Working from home, being cautious of social contact, and the accessibility of health-related recourses is not doable for everyone.

Our team is working tirelessly under testing times to keep the community healthy, prevent the spread of the virus and ensure healthcare is still a walk away from their doorstep. It’s you who have stood with us to help the poor get compassionate healthcare, medicines and dry rations. Thank you.

A glance at what we have done from June to August 2020:

Home visits: 2092

Counselling: 1882 persons

Villages visited: 287

Distribution of medicine to: 270 people

Awareness programmes on COVID-19: 63

Grocery distribution to the poor: 30 families

E-consultation provided to:15 people

Community meetings: 32

Number of GRBS test done: 151

Number of BP test done: 278

Opthal care extended to: 25 people

Dental care extended to: 18 people

Home visits to people who are mentally ill: 66

Follow-up on breast cancer: 14 women

With social distancing norms still on, we believe that people need compassionate care at their village level for various illnesses. We hope you’d continue to support us when we initiate another project to cover the abovementioned services. Thank you.

We want to share with you the story of Chandragowda, who has experienced a new beginning in his life.

Chandregowda would sit with his chin dipping to the chest; avoiding eye contact and muttering tearfully to himself. He found solace in his favourite place–a corner of the wall where the mud was crumbling. But that did not deter Chandregowda.

“My husband was in jail for a year or so charged with murder. Now, it’s almost 15 years, and he is still depressed,” explained his concerned wife.

Chandregowda’s association with us started three years back when he registered for one of our healthcare camp in his village. “We have taken him many hospitals. But in vain. Now I want to see him normal,” requested his wife.

Chandregowda continued his treatment with us, religiously following all instructions of our doctor. Now, we see a different Chandregowda– from a timid and listless Chandregowda to a determined, spirited with an unflagged zeal to live happily with his wife. When the neighbours see him cycling to bring fodder for his livestock, working in his field, they raise their eyebrows in awe and say, “How come Chandregowda is active? What kind of treatment did he take? It’s just magical.”

Chandregowda smiles, lights up and radiates an energy of serenity and peace.

This is going to be a critical year for the world’s most vulnerable populations. We are excited to continue to share in this journey with you in the year ahead and beyond – may it be transformative. Thank you for all what you do. Please share this report with your family members and friends.

Warmly,

Carolin George

A determined &spirited Chandregowda with his goats

Ensuring the poor gets groceries

Not leaving anyone behind

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