Dr. Kalpesh is a retired doctor but he says he has never worked harder. Dr. Riti is a young aspirant and dreams of making a difference to as many lives as she can. Working in remote and inaccessible villages and neglected slums across the country, 19 doctors came together to attend a 2-day training workshop. Each one of them had a story to share.
The every-day challenges for the doctors range from convincing the community members to believe in medical science, and spreading awareness about the importance of health and hygiene, to trekking long distances in hilly terrains where vehicles cannot reach even today. At times, they trek to the same community several times in a week to get to know the community better, and to nurture a trust with them.
“Sometimes we have to scold them. Sometimes we have to be extremely patient and win their trust before they finally start taking their medicines. Every person has the right to healthcare, irrespective of their birth, circumstances or economic conditions. A person’s survival should not depend on mere chance; this is the purpose of our profession. Diseases do not distinguish between the haves and the have-nots, neither should we”, shared a doctor.
These doctors, along with their dedicated team of medical professionals, including nurses, ANM, lab technicians and pharmacists are the backbone of our Smile on Wheels mobile hospital programme.
Over the course of 2 days, we learnt from each other, and we all left with a stronger sense of purpose and commitment to the cause-
#HealthCannotWait.
(Through Smile on Wheels, 354,088 people have received healthcare services through 23 operational projects in 465 remote villages and slums so far.
To learn more about our programme, please visit http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/smile_on_wheels.html)
