Succour for senior citizens

IN THE steady afternoon rain HelpAge India's white Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) splashes its way through the muddy bylanes of Satyavanimuthu Nagar in Otteri. As it climbs the motorable road to the Daya Community Hall, you see why the NGO chooses to extend its service to this area. On the one side of the road is the city's garbage dump and an enclosed sorting yard. On the other is the dirty nallah with rubbish threatening to choke it. Rain doesn't wash away the stench that hangs in the air. We are in the last quarter of the `Empowerment of the Elders' year. HelpAge India, a fund raising organisation channels its energies in the care of the elderly poor in several states. In the 24 years of its work, it has promoted more than 2000 projects to help the aged. With local and international charities, it funds homes for the abandoned, day care centres, eye care events, victims of natural calamities, income generation schemes and perhaps most significant of all programmes to create awareness among school children of the need to be kind to the old.

The MMU is the first project to be directly handled by HelpAge. It takes medical help to the doorstep of nearly 3000 senior citizens in the Chennai slums. ``If elders remain healthy they are not seen as a liability by the family that is struggling to meet ends,'' says Indrani Rajadurai, Joint Director, Southern Region, HelpAge India. ``Treatment costs money, they need to be escorted to hospital where they are generally not a priority. They cannot wait in time-consuming queues. The family ignores them or simply throws them out."

Panneerselvam, Project Officer, MMU first visits the slums for a first-hand appraisal. With the help of local volunteers the old in need of medical help are informed of the MMU's visit. The place and date where they need to gather are fixed. In most places the doctors ``have no choice but to examine them in the vehicle itself. Though the unit is equipped for this, summer days can be very hot inside."

``We have a good rapport with all major government hospitals,'' he says. ``So treatment is hassle-free. We provide transport for hospital visits and spectacles where needed. We get specialists to visit the elderly in some areas."

The MMU drives between stacks of footwear, plastic and bottles foraged from the garbage. Mani expertly avoids the goats, chicken and dogs to park the van in front of the hall. Inside he unfolds the table he carries and gets the doctor's `chamber' ready. The patients amble in. Dr. Manimekalai who is on duty today (there are three other doctors) puts on her stethoscope and begins her examination. The ailments vary. Selva Mary has a congested chest, which she says is the result of her exposure to night air for four days. She and her family slept in the open following the recent tremor in Chennai. Not surprisingly, the old in this slum are prone to TB. For this they go to the nearby centre.

Shanbagavalli, 62, complains of blocked vision. The doctor detects cataract. She writes to Andhra Mahila hospital for surgery and sends the grandma to a local lab for a blood test. Rajammal is a new patient. A card is prepared for her visits and treatment. Lakshmi, from a nearby slum, is too weak to talk. She is a bag of bones and could do with another set of clothes. Her daughter-in-law allows her only a small meal a day. Dr. Manimekalai prescribes vitamins but knows they won't be of much help. She requests the Daya Association to give her food. The treatment is recorded in the invalid's card.

Though the minimum age of a patient eligible for medicare is 55, doctors often have to go by their estimates. The patients haven't heard of birth or educational records. Ranganayaki 75, winner of last year's dance competition on World Elders' Day prances in for a check up. Muthu 65, suffers from wheezing. By the end of two hours, the doctor has examined nearly 50 patients, many of whom complain of arthritis. They go out to the van to collect their medicines from the pharmacist.

The second MMU in Chennai donated by Larsen & Toubro was flagged off on October 1. The mobile hospitals make two trips a day and in a week cover 20 poor sections of the city. These trips are repeated before another 20 are adopted. For 6000 of Chennai's impoverished old, the white medical van is the weekly saviour.

``We welcome offers of good quality medicines for this work,'' says Ms. Rajadurai. ``Will the good Samaritans contact us at 5322149?''

GEETA PADMANABHAN

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : A noble endeavour