Medical camps are conducted by health professionals to provide limited health services amongst the underprivileged community. The poor attend these camps to get free check-up and treatment. Getting the appropriate kind of health checkup is vital for every human being so these medical camps provide the poor population overall physical examination which includes eyes and health check-up, assessment of the functioning of vital organs like the heart, lungs, digestive system, liver, kidneys and the immune system.
Free medical camps are extremely helpful for the poor population who earn a meager income and cannot afford expensive healthcare services offered by hospitals or clinics.
There are various types of medical camps. For instance, Mega camps involve general and specific treatment including medicines and tests. These kind of camps are associated with health awareness campaigns including the disease spectrum in that area combined with Educational programmes. Specific specialty camps may include Cardiology, Nephrology, Gastro entomology or Neurology, sometimes with the minimum payment for consultation and for special tests like a mobile echo. The efficiency of these type of camps depends on pre-camp screening and identification specific requirement of specialties. Few Medical Camps are directed towards Women and child or geriatrics problems and some involve aMobile van with facilities for minor procedures especially Dental services.
At first it’s important that you decide what kind of camp you want to organize. Next, to that, you must collect the Population/demographic details, disease profile and other requirements before organizing it.It’s better to have an idea about the approximate number of people expected to avail the service so that advance arrangements can be made.
The requirements definitely depend on the type of specialties planned for the camp but here we have enlisted a few of them which are necessary to organize a camp.
- General medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedics, Gynecology, Cardiology, Neurology, pulmonologyequipmentare generally sufficient.
- Things such as Sphygmomanometers ( BP apparatus), Torchlights, Stethoscopes, Thermometers, Mobile ECG machine, Mobile Echo, Glucometers, Knee hammers , Height scales, Surgical gloves, Xylocaine Jelly, Masks, Sterile pads, Spirit and tray of emergency drugs, Savlon, betadine, Soaps, Dressingsets, Gauze, Cotton, Bandages and hand towels will be needed.
- Equipment should be packed in advance depending on the requirement and type of specialties likely to participate, for instance, the number of doctors or laboratory tests to be done in the camp.
- For ECG: ECG machines papers, jelly, and cotton should be carried. For Ultrasound: Jelly, cotton, stationery, may be taken. Electrical boards with electrical points for ECG or Echo machines Extension boards will help.
- Stationaryitems will be needed for outpatient cards, prescription pads, papers,and The outpatient card has to be designed in such a way that a patient coming to the hospital after the camp can be easily identified and shows the attended health camp stamp with date and time.
- Staff members like doctors, nurses, technicians, lab assistants, physiotherapists, dieticians, office assistants, supportive staff like drivers and helpers will be needed.
- Other facilities that should be provided at health camp are safe drinking water, toilets for staff and patients, facilities for waiting area.
- For patient and attendants water, food packets should be available if decided to supply.The hygiene and safety of food should be maintained to prevent transmission of infections.
- Educational material like posters informing about diseases like Cancer, HIV, Kidney problems, Stroke, Mother and Child health, Polio, Immunization, Rabies, Prophylaxis should be carried.
A lot of logistic support is needed to organize a medical camp successfully.Additional financial resources will be required for transportation of supplies and personnel from one region to another. Heavy security will be required as well.
It should be kept in mind that the main objective of all medical camps isto bring affordable healthcare and free health information to the community.These camps also contribute to identifying the common health problems in order to devise ways of addressing them.So the camps must be organized with utmost sincerity.
When the majority of hospitals and clinics are closed for the poor people leaving them to die from diseases, trauma and other health complications, free medical camps have come as their biggest hope.Healthcare is a basic right of a human being which should be available for everyone and must not be treated as a commodity only for those who can spend money to buy the services. Medical camps are solely serving humanity by taking care of the sick children and adults and giving them healthcare services for free.