Gurdaspur, April 11AdvertisementIn the border village of Agwan, 85-year-old Nirmal Kaur has been reduced to a forlorn figure of her former self. Her walk is a shuffle. Her knees have weakened to the extent where she can barely move. Diabetes and low blood pressure have played havoc with her once robust physique.Kaur needed some care and a cure. And these came in the form of an ‘Abaad- Sanjeevani’ medical camp held last week in Agwan. Such initiatives have now become a regular feature in the 80-odd villages along the International Border.Two ambulances have been stationed at different places along the IB.A team of doctors, pharmacists and scores of Asha and Anganwari workers have been providing health care in Dera Baba Nanak, Behrampur and Kalanaur health blocks.“A total of 4,550 patients have been treated in the last three months. We get lab tests done from the nearest government health centre,” said Rajiv Singh, Secretary, District Red-Cross and project co-coordinator. Volunteers, who reach the selected village in advance, decide upon the venue. This decision is then communicated to Rajiv Singh’s team.“The Sanjeevani concept is based on the axiom that where you live should not determine whether you live or whether you die. We often tell villagers that health is their real wealth,” said DC Himanshu Aggarwal.The ever increasing crowds at these camps is a sure sign that these villagers, 80 per cent of whom live below the poverty line, are slowly coming out of the “private hospital trap.” Over the years, only the poor have been left in these villages while the rich have moved to the cities.
Gurdaspur: Medical workers come to the aid of border villagers
