Written by Rupsing Majhi, Sikhya Sathi When I joined Swasthya Swaraj as a SIKHYA SATHI, I was given the responsibility of improving the state of Kachalekha Govt Primary school. It is a High School in the Kerpai GP. Children from Kerpai, Kachalekha, Tadadei, Pindapadar, Chimrang, and Mardiguda villages and hamlets...
TULSI clubs as social influencing platforms
Excerpt from the conversation with Paldei Majhi, TULSI Sathi “A few years back, my friend Savitri* was married off to a boy from a nearby village. We were only 13 years old and it was within 2 months of commencement of her menstruation. The marriage ceremony was very huge and...
Village women’s confidant
Excerpt from the conversation with Malendri Majhi, Swasthya Sathi “In my 7 years of working as SWASTHYA SATHI, I have gained more confidence and respect in my village”, says Malendri Majhi. Swasthya Sathi is a village health worker chosen from among the women of the village and given periodic training...
Understanding Verbal Autopsy through experiential learning
Written by Dr Ameena Mumtaz, Tribal Health Fellow All of us would have heard of Autopsy, more commonly ‘Post-mortem” - the examination of a dead body with an intent to search for the cause of death in cases where foul play is suspected. The medical examiners reach a conclusion thorough...
Reflecting on the agency of young tribalwomen in matters of pregnancy
Written by Dr Surabhi Sanjay, Junior Medical Officer It was one of those relaxed OPD days at Kerpai where we sat down late evening soaking in the cool breeze after a hot sunny day, when Maha Dei, one of our Swasthya Sathis from Kerpai village came running into the clinic...
Tuberculosis Control Program
High prevalence of Tuberculosis with its high death rates in our block is an indicator of poor socio-economic condition of the people including those who belong to tribal communities. TB control programmes are well coordinated between clinic activities and field activities. Special TB clinics are run once a month in...
Nutrition Centre Initiative
The percentage of SAM and MAM children are higher than the national average. This makes it essential to have decentralised, community-based therapeutic management and nutrition rehab centres which will also serve as hands-on training centres for mothers and adolescent girls, the future mothers. Swasthya Swaraj has initiated steps to set...
Field Animators & Community Nurses
The Field Animators are educated local youth mostly tribal youth (plus two and above) who are the fulcrum of the Swasthya Swaraj comprehensive community health programme. They are trained with knowledge and skills in health topics, communication skills and leadership skills. They conduct village meetings, organize awareness programmes, compile data, supervise...
Out of Comfort Zone
They say, comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there. Meaning, when you are repetitively doing a particular activity or a particular job in a certain way for the long time then you get used to it. The newness of that activity gradually decreases and naturally it...
Waiting For ‘Death’ To Come
We reached our Kerpai health center at around noon. This time we could not come to clinic on Monday so we were late by 3 days. By the evening patient started coming to center. As patients were more than usual and that too at unusual time, our 3 days gap...