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//Note: Ive underlined the factual details Im not too sure about.

Cross-check, pls.

Kumirmari is the last habitable island of the Indian Sundarbans,


and unsurprisingly remote. The Aila of 2009 was particularly
cruel on this island. It hasnt yet fully recovered, having lost
most of the mangrove cover that saved the island from giving
way to the ever-widening river.
With about 1000 people living there, the closest resemblance to
any health service they have is a tiny primary health centre.
Theres only one doctor tending to all these villagers, and given
the resources hes equipped with, no severe/mildly severe
ailment can be taken care of. Any proper treatment is,
therefore, a world of boat ride away. Even if the river is kind
and transport available, the patient has to travel for about
three hours to reach the closest proper town with basic health
amenities. Hospital for them mean the government run ones in
Kolkata, where they need 6-7 hours to reach. Any case of
emergency cannot wait that long, and even when its not an
emergency, crucial cases tend to worsen in such long transits.
The Rotaract Club of Heritage Institute of Technology, on a
previous visit a few months back, had recognised this problem
through conversation with close to 100 families on that island.
As most of the inhabitants voiced similar concerns about health
services, RC-HITk decided to plan a health camp, which
intended to introduce basic health profiling and medicine
distribution.
It took place on the 14th and the 15th of November, organised by
a team of 10 Rotaracters, accompanied by two doctors from
Kolkata:
Dr Biswarup Lahiri, Cardiologist and Consultant Physician,
affiliated to CMRI, and
Dr Arpita Lahiri, Professor, Dept. of Nephrology, IPGMER.

The health check-up included measurement of weight, blood


pressure and blood sugar.
About 156 villagers were checked in these two days. A vast
majority of them rely on physical labour for sustenance, so
issues pertaining to those were expected.
Most of the patients suffer from arthritis, owing to old age.
Some, however, were diagnosed with severe complications, for
which further medical tests were advised.
After the check-up, medicines were distributed.
The camp has helped the inhabitants get aware of their health
issues that arent merely skin-deep, and that arent curable
without qualified medical expertise.
Prevention is better than cure, but awareness is crucial for
prevention.
While some of them have realised how their health can get
better with a few lifestyle changes, the others have been
cautioned about how their conditions can get worse if prompt
help is not sought.
Because here at Kumirmari any proper hospital is hours away,
and the river isnt always kind.

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