Farewell to Amritha

Amritha joined us as a Fulbright scholar in September 2017. She had done her BS in Biomedical Engineering and wanted to work in bringing healthcare to the doorstep of rural folk. Initial surveys in the Villages, reinforced this idea that here was an opportunity to deliver healthcare at the doorstep.
She worked at the project and we were able to start screening of adults for NCDs. We used a tablet based NCD screening apparatus made by Vitor Healthsciences, a Bengaluru based startup. Thanks to this initiative the RHC has been able to provide doorstep health care for patients of Hypertension and Diabetes in two villages in Thettu Valley. Patient compliance has been about 65% which is fairly respectable.
In March 2018 the Rural Health Centre was included as a site for a multi centric mental health study - cVEDA (Consortium for the Assessment of Externalising Disorders and Addictions) www.cveda.org
This project attracted Amritha a great deal and she decided to extend her stay at RV by a year more.
Amritha trained in this project and was appointed project supervisor. She did such a fantastic job of recruiting participants, training staff on Neuro Psych testing on PsyTools, maintaining records, bar coding and storing the blood and urine sample, coordinating with NIMHANS for patient referrals as well as MRIs.
As far as NIMHANS was concerned they did not have to worry about Rishi Valley site since they just knew that everything would be perfect. Hats off to the cVEDA team and Amritha in particular.
She had applied to medical school and for a MPH programme back home in the US. She got into Emory for a MPH programme.
Sadly we had to say bye to her and let her go. Her last working day at the RHC was 30 June.
We are already missing her smiling, active presence. For a person so young she bought in good organisation, man management skills as well as a very empathetic attitude to the participants who were suffering with psychiatric problems.
We will miss her at the RHC. She was like family.  From all of us wising her godspeed and every success in life.
Some photos from her farewell

A Gift from the staff

With CVEDA staff

 

The field staff

Going Digital with X Rays

Yay the RHC went Hitech.
A big big and heartfelt THANKS to Venki Ramachandran - an ex staff of Rishi Valley, now in the US, who donated the X Ray Equipment
The RHC bought a AGFA CR 12 digitiser, doing away with the old method of developing and fixing X Ray films. We now have crisper images and are also able to focus in on the area of interest and do away with the background clutter.
God Bless you Venki.
Here are the images of the Digitiser

A Doctor joins the RHC

A Doctor  Joins us
Dr Anandhi, graduate from Madras Medical College (Class of 97) and a post graduate in Gynaecology from Patiala (2018) joined us on 01 June.
She did a Short Service Commission with the Indian Air Force, married an Army Officer, Col Murthy and the did her MD in Gynaecology. She was working with the ECHS (Ex Servicemen Cooperative Health Scheme) in Patiala.
The family had come to Rishi Valley, as prospective parents, for the entrance examination and interview, when they came across the RHC and literally walked in to explore the possibility of working here. Vidya and I both liked her, so did the management. So we offered her a job in May and she readily accepted.
Its been a real pleasure having her with us. Competent, taking on responsibility, very active, interested - a great asset to the RHC. We look forward to a long innings here at RV and the Health Centre.

A Smile that never goes away

This 14 year old girl had a traumatic amputation of her Left forearm while using a grass cutting machine in March 2019.

Please see Blog Jan - March 2019 for the 1st Photo

The girl was rushed to Madanapalle where she was operated and wound looked after. After discharge we took over the wound cleaning and dressing at the RHC.

What struck us was her attitude, smile and air of positivity in spite  of such a grievous wound. She wrote her year end exams in April scoring almost 90%.

By then the wound had healed well and we referred her to the Chittoor Campus of the Christian Medical College. There she was under the care of Dr Suranjan Bhattacharjee, a renowned figure in Rehabilitation.

Her muscles were strengthened and an artificial limb fitted in May 2019

She is now active and coping with her new limb. The plan is for a bionic limb in about a couple of years.

Post surgery

Slow wound healing

 Videos of her new limb

The PMR team at CMC, Chittoor. Dr Suranjan at far right

April - June 2019

Wow its been hot. In the last 20 years never seen temperatures continuously above 41 C. Sapped us thoroughly. As an emergency measure put shade nets over the waiting area and got 2 air coolers to alleviate the suffering of the patients who have to wait for hours as we ploughed through the crowd. Frayed tempers, exhaustion, irritability all in equal measure. What a relief it was for all of us when the vacations rolled by - a much needed break.
Back to work on 01 June and back to work. The heat abated a bit but the rains have stayed away.

Patient Data
Total: 3823
Children: Males: 99; Femakles 118
Elderly: Males 556; Females 433
Adults: Males: 1283; Females 1334

cVEDA Project
Children at play drawing and colouring as they wait their turn for the assessments. This was a great way to engage the kids through the long questionnaires.

A Young Baby

A 3 month old baby presented to the RHC with signs of Congestive Heart Failure due to a congenital heart problem. We successfully resuscitated the baby here and then admitted at a secondary care centre. After the baby stabilised, he was referred to Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad. He was operated there by Dr Anil Kumar, Paediatric Cardio Thoracic Surgeon and his team, under the aegis of Arogyashree medical scheme. The baby has made an excellent recovery. God Bless the team at KIMS, Hyderabad.