Provide maternal care for 4500 rural Indian women

On 12 May 2010 at 12:30 p.m. the sun was strong, making the air hotter by every minute. I was in Guwahati on my field visit to audit the “maternal health project” launched for the remote rural locations in Assam (North Eastern India).

We drove for more than 2 hours from our divisional office in Guwahati and reached a small bumpy road that cut from the main highway. This small road offered sweeping views of green hills, ponds and wooden bridges over tiny canals. Every scenic view was apt to inspire poets and writers. However, with my public health lens on, all I could notice is that the last healthcare facility which we saw 45 minutes ago.

There were clusters of houses made with mud and straws which the car driver kept referring as “villages”.  Soon, we stopped near one such cluster to see the maternal health camp which was scheduled as the part of the project.

As I got down, I could see a small purple shade outside a house, with at least 50-60 women sitting underneath. Entire group of females could be easily divided into young females with colored cloths and elder ones dressed in whites (In India, elders prefer lighter shade).  

I met the Drishtee Health Franchisee (DHF), Jammuna Bai who was organizing this maternal health camp for the pregnant females and she explained that these females were the pregnant females accompanied by their mother-in-laws. Everybody sat calmly while they waited for their turn to meet the gynecologist.  

It was the biggest reward to witness the camp, by this time I had forgotten about the processes or the documents I had to check. I was lost talking to mother-in-laws and their views about the services at the camp. A project crafted with technical inputs and public health strategies with clearly documented expected outcomes was pouring in blessings. It was one of the best moments in my life and my feedback report only read “good job done!!”