'I was blind, but now I see'

Many adivasis like Jiyalal now have access to good quality eye care literally at their door step.

Jiyalal is 60 years old... or even older and lives in Melghat. Here is what he says in his words-I was brought to the Mahatma Gandhi tribal hospital, by their ambulance.

“I had blindness in my both eyes. I stayed in MAHAN hospital for 7 days after successful surgery. During that time my care was well taken by Dr. Kavita & Staff. We were all given very good food as well.The staff here does not bother about our dirty clothes, they follow up after our surgery to make sure we are better and they always give us medicines we require”

Jiyalal is not worried about any future ailments now. He knows he has a hospital he can count on “Here there is no question of mishaps during surgeries unlike many stories I have heard from other hospitals in the nearest town. We are fully confident about MAHAN and if we have any health problem we shall go to them alone.

Before cataract surgery, Jiyalal decided to commit suicide due to blindness and starvation due to unemployment. But due to cataract surgery by MAHAN, he started earning for his family and living healthy life.
Jiyalal is so well taken in to the medical services by MAHAN that he had told all his neighbours in his village about it. “My neighbor could not see through her left eye so I took her to one of the eye care camps of MAHAN and she underwent surgery and can see through the eye very well now.

Miracle of dedicated scientific efforts-Muskan

                                                      Muskaan: Premature baby saved by VHW
                                                            
She always expected this moment to be the most memorable of her life, but when Munnibai gave birth to her daughter ‘Muskaan’ in 2006, she did not even want to hold her. “My daughter was born premature in the seventh month. She was smaller than a rat; I didn't even want to carry her in my lap.”

Muskaan was born weighing 800 grams as opposed to a normal birth weight of 2.5 kilograms and above. This is the reality of many mothers living in the tribal area of Melghat. Every year around 500 children die before they reach five years of age mainly due to low birth weight & prematurity in Melghat.

Being a premature, baby was put in an incubator at the government local hospital but she continued with the same weight and suffered from diarrhea. Finding that it didn't help, Munnibai returned home to her village.

'Muskaan'
Shameem a MAHAN Village Health Worker working in Munnibai's village, came to know about Munnibai's daughter. She immediately took her under her care. “Shameem moushi (aunty) used to visitat least thrice a week, giving her vitamin injections, providing special food and wrapping her in a blanket. Slowly Muskaan began to put on weight.”

Shameem knew that Muskaan would be a challenge to treat but she did not back off. Referring to MAHAN's Pande she says, “Pandeji used to direct me. She began to put on an additional 200 grams per week after we began to treat her. In a month's time she was 1.5 kg.”

Today Muskaan is five years old, healthy and an energetic child at school. With a sigh of relief her mother can only describe her present state of mind as 'I am happy'. “Shameem moushi tells us that we must keep in touch with her if Muskaan has any illness”, she adds.

Dr. Mrs. Dani a reputed doctor from Nagpur who volunteers eight days per monthat MAHAN, when came across the case in 2006, she thought that Muskaan would be a lost cause. “Medically speaking the child would be written off. But through the Aarogya Doot program it was possible to provide the care and support required to bring the child back to health and quickly. I am proud of the work that was achieved by Shameem.”

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