UPDATE JULY/AUGUST 2007

[ See also recent photos - July/August 2007 ]

Dear friends, namaskar.

A major progress during the last two months for our medical services to the villagers in our area has been the start of our physiotherapy treatments. Due to our limited funds, the service is still limited to one day a week, but it has continued regularly and more than 80 patients have been benefiting from regular physiotherapy exercises by a trained physiotherapist. Many of the patients are children suffering from physical and mental disabilities caused by cerebral palsy – approx. 5% of the children in our area are struck by this disease already at birth or during early childhood. This is due to the widespread chronic malnutrition, which weakens their bodies as well as that of their mother before they are born. Physiotherapy in combination with acupuncture is a very effective treatment. Though we can only give the physiotherapy treatment once a week, the therapist explains and shows to the parents in detail the exercises for their children, so that they can continue it at their home on a daily basis.

Initially we were only able to afford a very basic set of physiotherapy equipment. With the help of the local NGO “Helping Hands” we were recently able to acquire additional equipment including a more suitable treatment bed and an exercise cycle. The cycle is very helpful for the rehabiliation of patients with leg paralysis.

In July we gave outpatient services to a total of 827 patients, an average of 32 patients per clinic day (6 days a week). In August 791 patients came, averaging at 30 patients per day. We hope to expand our physiotherapy services as soon as possible, in order to help not only more children suffering from cerebral palsy, but also the many adults who have chronic back and joint pain, which they get due to malnutrition combined with strenuous work and bad posture habits.

The daily monsoon rains in July and August made it necessary for us to change our village education programs during this time. Due to the very poor supply of electricity in the rainy season, we were not able to sufficiently charge our lead-acid batteries so that they would give enough power to run our projector, DVD player and sound system for the village screenings of our nutritional eduation video. Also, due to the frequent and unpredictable rains as well as muddy village roads, it was often not possible to gather the villagers and show the video in the evening. Finally we had to stop the video screenings up to the end of this month.

Instead of the video screenings, we started again regular weekly cleaning programs of village wells. This is also most urgently needed during and just after the rainy season, as the well water becomes more infected with parasites and bacteria through the dirt and debris washed into it by the rain. Accordingly many villagers come to the clinic during this time suffering from diarrhoea, dysentery and other waterborne diseases. During the cleaning program one or two of our assistant staff disinfect the water with bleaching powder (chlorine powder), while one of our accompanying doctors explains to the villagers the need to keep their wells clean in order to prevent waterborne diseases such as malaria, filariasis and various forms of gastrointestinal diseases. We show them how they can continue the cleaning easily and cheaply themselves on a regular basis, with the cheaply available bleaching powder. While this is going on, another assistant sprays the surrounding puddles and stagnant water areas with a solution of diluted phenyl, in order to kill breeding mosquitoes, parasites and bacteria. The spraying needs to be done not only around the well, but also on the village road and inside many village homes, where large puddles present a health hazard.

In July we cleaned and disinfected 36 wells in 3 villages, and in August 53 wells in 5 villages. A new element during these programs is to use chalk to write educative slogans about nutrition and hygiene onto village walls. Some examples of slogans which were used over the past weeks:

• “Drink boiled water and remain free from diarrhoea.”
• “Eat more greens and vegetables and you will be free of disease and malnutrition.”
• “Eat carrots and papayas and you will be free from night-blindness.”

2-4 slogans have been written in each village, in a total of 9 villages so far. Chalk was also given to some villagers who volunteered to write in their villages.

In August another local NGO organized a womens’ awareness program at a high school and invited us to talk and give training to the attending women from various nearby villages. The topics were waterborne diseases and malnutrition. Approx. 70 women attended.

Back at the clinic, the rains have helped us as well as given us some problems. The high rainfall caused our tube well to collapse. This is a common problem in many areas during the monsoon season; an engineer and drilling equipment has to be hired to repair the well. Also, after some strong and windy storms, almost 15 meters length of our boundary wall collapsed, so that the bricks had to be laid again.

The good news is that the rains have helped our new nutritional herbs garden to grow and develop quickly. This is a new section of our herbal garden which we recently started at the front of the clinic, opposite the medicinal herbs garden. Here we can easily demonstrate to the patients and visitors the many varieties of spinach and other greens which are cheap and easy for them to buy at the market, to grow themselves as well as to collect as wild greens in their neighbourhood. As with our medicinal herbs, we point out to them which plants are very good for preventing and curing which health problems. We’re presently growing a total of 68 plants, 49 medicinal herbs and 19 nutritional herbs and greens.

Behind the clinic there was since long a still undeveloped area of our land covered with wild bushes and weeds. During the rainy season it has been attracting too many mosquitoes. We recently cut many bushes and in order to maintain the green and cooler environment planted in the same area more than 50 banana trees. More trees will follow in the coming weeks to cover this whole area.

Directly in front of the clinic, between the herbal gardens, we’ve planted grass in a small circular area and arranged many potted plants around it, so that the front area will become more attractive.

Every year on August 15, the national Independence Day, some simple programs are customarily held in the village areas also. As last year, also this year we invited children for singing songs and joining in games and competitions. This time we invited them from a nearby new school which started several months ago. Approximately 50 children attended. Another part of the program was planting of trees by the children, along the road between the clinic and the school.

That’s the news for now. Thanks again for all your interest and help, and best wishes for your own work and health.

Yours
Dada Devashuddhananda

TOP