When you have a fracture or unbearable back pain, what would you do? Consult a doctor, who will refer you to a specialist like an orthopedic surgeon or bone specialist. This scenario works fine in a city, but what about small towns and villages?. It is not so easy for people living in rural India, as there is a shortage of doctors in rural India.

Current Rural India Medical facilities Scenario

According to a study, in India, there is one government doctor for every 10,189 people (the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a ratio of 1:1,000), or a deficit of 600,000 doctors, and the nurse: patient rate is 1:483, implying a shortage of two million nurses. As per the Aarogya Bharat Report, the shortfall of doctors is likely to continue until 2039. To achieve the modest prescribed doctor-population ratio of 1:1000, India will need 2.07 million more doctors by 2030.

The cause for the shortage of doctors and paramedical staff in rural India is attributed to

  • Inadequate infrastructure
  • Low connectivity
  • Lack of basic amenities like electricity and potable water and
  • Less salary, in the case of government doctors.

The majority of rural India does not have access to flashy private hospitals in cities, nor can they afford the treatment in such places. They have to depend on primary health care workers for their essential medical health and have to go to the city for specialist treatment, where they have to spend money out of their own pockets.

Super Specialist doctors are in short supply and medical treatment by them is almost non-existent in small towns, especially a small town called Tilda Newra, on the outskirts of Raipur city, in Chhattisgarh.

my-healthconnect’s Patient Outreach program – Orthopedic specialist at tilda

It is for areas like Tilda that websites like my-healthconnect and its comprehensive medical outreach initiative help patients get relief from their discomfort at the right time with proper medical advice.

Renowned joint replacement surgeon, Dr. Narendra Reddy, from Vijayawada, conducted a medical OPD initiative on 4th January 2020 in Jyothi Hospital, where 75 patients received benefits. The ‘medical travel’ patient from Tilda typically travels to places like Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Mumbai, hence a renowned specialist from Vijayawada to their local facility was a blessing for their orthopedic needs.

Malformed Metacarpal Bone Treated

Life was difficult for Sanya Batra, a 27-year-old woman living in Tilda, who had injured her finger. Her fractured finger could not be adequately treated, and she had a malformed meta-carpal bone, and she had no idea where to go or what treatment she should get. She met the doctor in the medical camp, who advised her physiotherapy. Now she is on the road to recovery.

The main risk of an untreated fracture, however is improper healing. This can result in visible deformities, misalignment and limited movement. 

Advising Knee Replacement Surgery

In yet another case, Sarojini Setpal, 50 year older woman was having knee pain for a long time. She was diagnosed with bone density at -1.2 and low calcium content in the body. Her knee X-ray revealed severe arthritis and she has been advised to go for knee replacement surgery. She is now hoping to soon get back on her knees.

The mission continues

my-healthconnect’s mission is to continue to bridge the gap between a patient and a doctor. By contacting us, you can get good quality medical opinion through our outreach OPD initiatives. You may also register on our web platform for any online help and support.