By Molly Fernandes
Zuarinagar, Sept. 23, 2021: A social service center managed by Goa’s Holy Family Sisters has braved pandemic threats to conduct free medical camp for a slum area in the southwestern Indian state.
The Kiran Niketan Social Centre is situated inside the slums of Birla Zuarinagar area and its residents are mostly the marginalized and underprivileged migrants.
The nuns have been serving the slum area for the past 25 years.
They conducted the medical camp in collaboration with sisters from the Jesus, Mary and Joseph congregation that managed a general hospital in the area.
Holy Family Sister Phileshin D’Souza, who led the medical camp, said their “daring act” not only manifested woman power but benefited many marginalized people.
The August 26 camp conducted free blood tests and medical checkup and 38 women, 28 children and seven men availed the facility.
Sister D Souza said they organized the camp as the slum’s underprivileged people could hardly afford quality treatment for their illness. “This help for the migrants was possible because of the generosity and constant guidance from Indian Social Institute Bangalore and the support and encouragement of Jesuits of Goa province,” she told Matters India.
The camp started at 3 pm with a female doctor, two nurses, and two lab technicians. Many slum dwellers had viral fever. They were malnourished as they lacked healthy food. After the check-up the patients were given free medicines and prescribed necessary precautionary actions.
A group of women said they came to know their blood for the first time.
“I wasn’t aware about my blood group. I am very happy that I came to know about my blood group was O positive,” said Devibai Rathod.
Ruksharshaikh, a young unmarried woman, said: “I felt more comfortable sharing my health issues with the lady doctor. She was very nice and even spoke nicely to me and gave useful information to me.”