Core Programme Clusters

Disability, Injury Prevention &  Rehabilitation

Community Based Rehabilitation, an Urban Experience 

Lessons from the Field 

Role of camps

Foreword

Community Based Rehabilitation

Why CBR?

How we did CBR?

Activities

Methodology

Lessons from the field

Evaluation

Sustainability

Acknowledgement

Contact

In almost all the communities there was a demand to conduct a health/ medical camp.  In our understanding, medical camps were not part of the strategy towards establishing CBR.  However since this was a persistent request across all the communities, we explored this approach.  We realised that holding camps would enhance community contact, help us to better understand their needs and problems and enhance the Local Supervisor’s status within their community.  Seeing patients within the community rather than in a doctors office, helped to remove some of the barriers set up by professionalism. The exposure to the reality of the lives of people in the slums was an eye opener (education) for most of the professionals. The community felt that the professionals were more accessible to them and were able to see them as advocates for their development. 

During the planning the principles of the educative model were kept in mind and screening for diseases like Under nutrition/ Hypertension/Diabetes Mellitus/Obesity were carried out as well as Health Education on a variety of health issues conducted through the health exhibition/Video shows that were organised as a part of the camp.  The community was involved in the planning and organisation and the leaders and young people played an active role, helping to set up the venue, streamlining the patients and providing other infrastructural support.  So these camps have given us an opportunity to strengthen links and provided a window into some aspects of the life within the community.

Eye Camps

Difficulty in seeing was a major problem within the community, encountered by the local supervisors.  As they began to use the module on ‘ difficulty in seeing’ it became apparent that many of the visually challenged  persons needed the help of the specialists. Contacts were made with the eye department and links were made to their ongoing community programmes for those with poor vision.  Eye Camps were organised in these areas and people with difficulty seeing were referred for appropriate treatment including correction of refractive errors, or surgery for cataract and so on. The local supervisors were the links between their communities and the staff of the Ophthalmology department. The local supervisors gained knowledge skill and confidence in using the manual for dealing with persons with difficulty seeing through these approaches.