XLRI Students Organize Medical Camp in rural Jharkhand

Plan to make this a continuing affair
IMA and SEEDS throw their weight behind the students.

They might not be managers yet, but they are already aware of their social responsibility. The students of XLRI, in collaboration with SEEDS (Socio-Economic and Education Development Society), an NGO, set up a Free Medical Camp in a primary school in Korashol village, 65 Km from Jamshedpur on 21st November, 2004. The event coincided with the Pulse Polio Camp held at the same location today and hence there was a huge turnout of women and children.

“As the medical facilities are virtually non-existent in this place, we decided to help the villagers out by organizing this camp.” Said Shilpi Nanda, the brain behind this initiative. “I hope the authorities take prompt steps to improve the plight of the people.”

The villagers are mainly paddy field workers, contract labourers in mines, or employed in cottage industries such as bamboo basket making. The village, once a sprawling township, is seeing darker days since the closure of the many copper mines in the locality. There is only one government dispensary operating in the block as of now, woefully inadequate for the requirements of the block.

Shilpi Nanda, first-year student at XLRI identified the medical requirements for the block, took the initiative for the camp, and organised it with the help of her friends in XLRI. It materialised with the immense support of Dr Arun Kumar [President, IMA], Mr Manish Kumar [Central Excise Commissioner, Jharkhand], and Dr Shubhra Dwivedi [CEO, SEEDS]. The doctors who gave their voluntary services for the camp were Dr Raut [Mercy Hospital, Baridih], Dr U K Pati, and Dr C R Sardar of TSRDS. A number of eminent doctors also contributed by giving us medicines, which were distributed, at the camp free of cost [Dr R L Agarwal, Dr T G Mukherjee, Dr Unmesh Luktuke, Dr (Col) Raul, Dr Umesh Khan and Dr Raut].

“For further camps, we are looking forward for corporate sponsorships.” said Shilpi. As Jamshedpur is an industrial town, we are looking at the corporate sector to help us out to conduct more camps of this fashion. Also, we would be grateful if any of the local civic associations in Jamshedpur help us out.

“We are very thankful of the co-operation of the Doctors in this endeavor and hope that more of them would associate with us in the future.”

Interested organizations can contact Ms. Shilpi Nanda, on ph no: 9835369895, or mail her at shilpyn.06@astra.xlri.ac.in