” ‘Amma Mini Clinics Scheme’ – A Boon to the Poor and Downtrodden ” – December 26, 2020.

Oftentimes we learn of customers’ pleadings in medical shops, ” Sir, my son is suffering from high fever. Please give some tablets that can stop the fever in a day “. The chief intent is to take care of the immediate problem even if it means spending a few rupees more to get them.

Whether the medical problem is solved or not, medicines sought and purchased without a valid prescription from a doctor for a disease not diagnosed by him/her will always run the risk of inducing unexpected side effects. This may also be known to many who practise it.

In these circumstances, ” Amma Mini Clinics Scheme” initiated by the Government of Tamil Nadu (December 14/15, 2020) is really a boon to common Citizens. Reasons are manifold for the poor people not visiting hospitals for their medical deficiencies. For a good number of people residing in a far too distant locality, visiting hospitals will entail an arduous journey.

Government hospitals provide free medical care to Citizens. But they will have to wait for a long time : To get an entrance card ; For consultation with a doctor ; Access to the place of medical examination for diagnosis ; For the laboratory tests to be completed ; For taking injections ; and in Drug counters for receiving the medicines. A complete day will be lost not to mention the loss of daily wage for the individual/patient.

Private hospitals known for their extreme care will only burden the individual/patient with a host of Laboratory Tests ; recommending consultations with specialists; and prescriptions of medicines beyond what may actually be needed in terms of cost. Lingering doubts and fear in the minds of individuals/patients will be more than the sickness they may have come to relieve themselves from.

For the above reasons, the only occasion poor go to hospitals is either pregnancy care or accident care that cannot be avoided. For common ailments they feel satisfied with the medicines given by the medical shop superintendents.

The arrival of “Amma Mini Clinics” is expected to transform the situation in a way even the poor can receive medical consultation and help with a a broad mindset.

At present, there exists one Primary Health Centre for every 50000 people in cities ; and one for every 30000 people in rural areas. The focus of “Amma Mini Clinics” is to open at least 2000 Clinics throughout Tamil Nadu each catering to every 5 to 10 thousand people.

Chennai city will have 200 ; other cities will have 200 ; and the rural areas/villages will have 1400 – a total a of 1800 mini clinics plus about 200 mobile clinics making 2000 overall.

As at present about 47 clinics in Chennai and about 630 clinics in other districts are functioning.

Each clinic will have a doctor ; a nurse ; and an assistant/compounder. The clinics will function for 8 hours each day. Including infectious diseases, medical care will be extended to cover all other diseases. Facilities for medical consultation for pregnant women ; blood and sputum examination ; and other tests will be available. It is hoped that people, mainly the poor/downtrodden will no longer have to depend upon medicines from the shops directly or avoid getting trapped by quacks.

For cases that grow serious after preliminary entry into these clinics, necessary treatment in big hospitals will be made available.

A serious disadvantage in our Political System that makes any good move less attractive concerns the reversal ; abandonment ; or tweaking to satisfy one’s fancy whenever a different Government or Political dispensation takes control. Also, on occasions even when same Government continues in charge – citing paucity of funds and allocating less financial resources – it tries to make the entire Socially Beneficial Program void of its noble ideals portraying shameless misery.

A Program that didn’t meet with any such utter misery has been the Program, brought into effect by the Late CM of Tamil nadu, K Kamaraj in the 1960s, titled ” Mid Day Meal Scheme “. The noble intention here is to increase the number of poor people to enroll in Primary Education. Late CM of Tamil Nadu, MG Ramachandran, in the 1980s followed suit with many improvements to the Scheme expanding enrolment and making it the, “Nutritious Meal Program”. A model program that is being sustained without a break since the Sixties.

The present Scheme of “Amma Mini Clinics” is intended to pave the right and noble path to Healthcare for specially the poor and downtrodden in Tamil Nadu. It is designed to emulate the Mid Day Meal Scheme (Education enrollment) with focus on Healthcare.

Couplet 948 of ‘Thirukkural’ states : “Disease, its cause, what may abate the ill ; Let leech examine these, then use his skill”.

It means : ‘Let the physician enquire into the (nature of the) disease, its cause and its method of cure and treat it faithfully according to (medical rule)’.

Arrival of “Amma Mini Clinics” will be helpful to enhance the healthcare of poor and downtrodden is the Future Hope in Tamilnadu.

“Dieu avec nous “

Saturday, December 26, 2020 – 8.39 p.m. (IST)

Tudbit : ” We are all human. Every human life is worth the same, and worth caring “.