Rural Health Camp Benefits 500 Families

A mobile health camp organised by Hemlata Foundation across three blocks of Katihar district has provided free medical consultations and essential medicines to over 500 rural families — many of whom had not seen a qualified doctor in years. The two-day intensive camp brought together a team of 8 doctors, 12 nurses, and 20 community health volunteers to deliver a wide range of services to underserved populations.

Day One: Diagnostics and General Medicine

The first day of the camp focused on diagnosis and treatment of common ailments. A total of 318 patients were seen by general physicians. Of these, 67 were found to have hypertension, 34 had uncontrolled diabetes, and 28 children were identified with acute malnutrition and referred to the district Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre. All patients received free medicines sufficient for a 30-day treatment cycle.

A gynaecologist conducted 84 consultations, identifying several cases of anaemia in adolescent girls and reproductive health complications in adult women that had gone untreated for months. All required follow-up received appointment letters for the district hospital.

Day Two: Specialist Services and Community Education

The second day featured specialist services including eye care (98 patients examined, 45 glasses distributed), dental care (76 patients), and orthopaedic consultations (52 patients). A skin specialist addressed cases of scabies and fungal infections — conditions that disproportionately affect families without access to clean water and sanitation.

• 500+ families served across 6 village clusters
• 1,200+ individual consultations over 2 days
• ₹4.5 lakh worth of medicines distributed free of charge
• 45 patients referred to district and sub-district hospitals
• 28 malnourished children enrolled in nutrition programme

Many of these families walked 5 kilometres to reach us. One elderly man had been living with cataracts for 6 years because he could not afford to travel to the city. We gave him glasses. He cried when he could see clearly again.

The Follow-Up Plan

Hemlata Foundation is committed to ensuring this camp is not a one-time intervention. All critical referrals have been tracked, and our community health workers are following up with patients weekly. The Foundation plans to run monthly health camps in each block going forward, and is in discussions with the district health department about permanently stationing a health worker in three of the most underserved village clusters.