Being Healthy Wealthy and Wise

Post by Anup Aryal & Report by Dipa Kuikel

Health is your greatest wealth is one of the most used cliches when it comes to how we view our well-being. However, one of the many side effects of living in an underdeveloped/rural part of the world is that people are often suffering from treatable conditions that greatly diminishes their quality of life…their wealth.  A key component of Rukmini Foundation’s holistic approach to improving our community is to focus on the health and well being of people in the area where we operate.

On May 9th, Rukmini Foundation organized a health camp at Panchakanya School with the co -ordination of BP Eye Foundation, and Dakshinkali Municipality with the goals to spread awareness to adopt healthy habits, provide checkups on the conditions of individual’s ear, nose, throat, eyes and teeth, and to educate the public on the importance of our oral health.

Nearly 500 participants including teachers, students, foundation mentors, and community members had their eyes and teeth checked up. Many people had never seen medical treatment for a long time so there were a lot of people showing up with the hopes of getting treatments that were beyond the scope of what was set up. However this showed that the program like this run with community partners was very successful in identifying the medical needs of the very underserved community where the foundation operates.

Some of the common issues that were discovered had to do with many people having issues with their eyesight. 20 people were suffering from cataract and a small boy was diagnosed as being legally blind and was recommended for additional treatment at a nearby hospital.  Most were simply treated with eye drops, a standard eye exam to determine if glasses are required along with any further treatment at the ophthalmologist’s office.

Ear and hearing test, nose test and throat test were helpful in determining some issues that were also faced by the participants. These services were really appreciated by participants as one of the parentes like Thuli Maya Pakhrin who said, “The camp is very beneficial to us as the hospital and health post is very far. We checked our eyes,nose and throat.We get medicine and get advice to care for our health. It spreads happiness and positive energy in us.”

Besides parents, students were also the main beneficiary of the program. Monika Tamange enjoyed getting her teeth checked and the information she received from the program about health and wellness that is often not readily available due to poverty and lack of adequate medical facilities. Impact of this program was very visible in every smiling face as people got generic diagnosis for further treatment recommendations, medicines to treat immediate ailments and knowledge on how to stay healthy.

Due to the participation of a large number of people, there are needs for further health camps to keep the momentum of providing basic health knowledge, treatments of simple conditions and identifying complex health issues that need further medical treatments. With the support of Rukmini Foundation’s donors, many people received care that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Find out how you too can play a part in improving the lives of many.