The vehicular and dust pollution is rising at an alarming proportion and so are the respiratory diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia and tuberculosis. These diseases are emerging as major health problems in the country, be it rural or urban areas. Due to lack of availability of proper medical facilities, rural areas, especially, need special attention. Considering this, The Ponty Chadha Foundation in collaboration with the Indo German Hospital regularly organizes free health camps in villages in and around New Delhi, latest being at Gujjargarhi village. From 10 a.m. till 1 p.m., there were many elderly people in this village who had come for check up.

Here are the highlights of the camp:

Out of 250 families, a total of 75 patients attended the camp. Due to the bad weather, few people turned up for the camp this time.
The camp was held at a meeting place (Baithak).
There was a lot of space available for patients to sit in the complex, where the seating arrangement was made to separately register and wait for their turn.
First the patients were given a token number, and then they registered with their name and age in the OPD card. They visited the doctor on their turn.
After the check up, they collected medicines from another counter.
Maximum number of people had come with problems pertaining to respiratory and skin related issues for which they were given medicines.
Some of them were also referred to the hospital where they could further do their check up.
On interaction with some village people who were waiting for check-up, it was found that they had ENT problems but never went for a doctor consultation.
Most of the women in the village ignore problems related to gynae due to lack of knowledge and lack of understanding and support from families.

A doctor at the camp said, “Our free health camp had benefitted them as it to a large extent as they got medicines for regular problems for which they were never treated before.”

Mrs. Jatinder Kaur Chadha, wife of the late Mr. Ponty Chadha has set up this organization as part of the efforts to channelize the group’s capabilities towards social welfare and economic development of the related communities. Keeping this tradition alive, free health camps are regularly organized in various villages.