Sitting in air conditioned chamber of Dr Surya's consulting chamber, it is very difficult to understand that what kind of work he is doing at ground level. So when I got a call from him to join his Epilepsy Camp in collaboration with National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at Kolhapur, I decided to visit Kohlapur. I spent my Sunday at his camp. It was a kind of experience seeing a crowd of more then 650 chronic epilepsy patients with their kith and kins travelled all the way from their remote villages, some of them covered more than 100 Km, with lot of apprehensions, but saw them going back with a sense of satisfaction and gratitude.
Kolhapur is a historical town with its connection with great warrior Shivaji, you may still find invisible presence to Shivaji in the form of Panahala fort, Palace and other relics. The town is also known for its salubrious climate, cool breeze in the evening. Despite prosperity due to rich belt for cane and other cash crops, visible signs of modern living in the form of Cafe Coffee Day, Mac Donald and city's own news channels, somehow this city is not cluttered, kept its old world charm and life is still very simple, with broad roads and cosy roadside bungalows.
The camp was at Arogya Kendra, right from 9 pm team led by Dr Surya from Mumbai started working right from 9 am, in fact the patients started flooding from 8 am some of them travelled alongwith PHC workers, few of them of their own. The registered application segregated block, PHC wise then a process of advice from neurologist, if necessary
Electroencephalogram or EEG , critical examination/ second opinion by Dr Surya himself, dispension of free medicine. All this started without waiting for formal inauguration ration by VIPs ! Actual inauguration, speeches took place almost after 3 hours of camp become operational.
The volunteers, specialists, pathologists, EEG technicians and other paramedics worked without any break for lunch till 6 in the evening. This was the motivation.
I have comeback Mumbai just an hour back with great feeling of satisfaction to be a part of the camp. The fact remains that NRHM have enough funds, enough work force and provision of medicines, what they lack a spark . Dr Nirmal Surya and his Epilepsy Foundation team is relentlessly working to create that spark!
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