Health Care
Health Care
Health sevices available for Somsar village and five other adjoining villages is only through a Subsidiary Health Centre, situated at Khandaghosh about 8 kms away, which is far from sufficient.
Swami Bhuteshananda Centenary Hospital:
The two-storied Swami Bhuteshananda Centenary Hospital has begun functioning. A residential doctor along with technician has been stationed. Specialists from Burdwan visit round the week. Basic pathological tests and sonology facility are beginning. A number of villagers from both Somsar as well as adjoining areas are receiving healthcare services either free or at a nominal cost. Pathology and X-Ray facilities have been planned at the Dispensary which if begun shall enable the patients to get these services done at a reasonable rate at the village without having to travel to distant towns and cities. This facility is to be sustained.
An area which remained a matter of great concern is snakebites. It is quite painful that every year about 2 to 3 children die in the village owing to snakebites. Health Centres do not keep anti-venom. The nearest town where casualties can be taken is Burdwan which is a good 25 kms. Bankura if farther down - around 40 kms. That too there isn't any guarantee that anti-venom will be available. The next option is Kolkata. Carrying a patient to Kolkata takes a good 3 and half to 4 hours by road. So, it isn't feasible most of the time.
The Centenary Hospital has a 4-bedded day care facility licence for treatment of snake-bites.
Healthcare services through Vivekananda Swasthya Seva Sangha:
Every fortnight, Doctors and Healthcare Volunteers from Kolkata, equipped with medicines reach the village for medical treatment. The doctors stay at the village the entire day and prescribe medicines after check-up. Medicines are provided free. On the third week of every month, Specialist Doctors in the fields of Dental, Eye and Gynaecology visit Somsar village and treat the villagers free of cost. Sanitation and Vaccination programmes are also taken up. Not only villagers of Somsar, but those staying in villages around are immensely benefited by the services provided by Vivekananda Swasthya Seva Sangha. In addition, medical camps are organized from time to time which not only cater to the villagers at Somsar but also those coming from areas far off.
Educated, willing volunteers, selected at the village are given professional training as 'Community Health Guides'. Trained youth visit every village home and enquire about healthcare, thus bringing forth improvement in hygiene. Audio-visual Shows and Slide Shows are organized from time to time which have helped to increase health awareness amongst the villagers.
The mobile medical van of the Vivekananda Swasthya Seva Sangha equipped with a portable X-ray machine, Ophthalmologic equipments, medium sized generators, slide-projector and pathological test equipments moves around in the villages once in every three months. It camps there with its medical team and equipments for three days at a time to be totally engaged for the service of the ailing villagers.
Owing to earnest desire of villagers of the area Homeopathic treatment through a separate section has been started with 2 experienced doctors and 2 volunteers. In the year 2011-12, a total of 4,917 patients were treated.
Swami Vivekananda Swasthya Parisheva Prakalpa:
On the occasion of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Swami Vivekananda Swasthya Parisheva Prakalpa, a Government of India programme formulated by Ramakrishna Mission is being conducted at Paschimpara of Somsar where the Seva Mandir has provided necessary infrastructure and monitoring. The programme covers the health improvement of 100 beneficiaries including pregnant mothers, lactating mothers and children below 3 years through regularly monitored activities.