Purna Chandra Ghosh, a resident and farmer of Kadamdanga village, 5 kms from Uday, Barhra. A journey that is covered mostly on foot due to the lack of proper transport. He was coughing severely and was unable to afford the travel to the nearest public health center. He visited Uday with a severe cough and was treated for the same, with an efficacy that ensured he continued coming back to Uday for the next 3 years. He realized that the cost of getting treated at Uday was saving him the cost of transport and unlike other health facilities was available to him at a time convenient to him.
Mr Ghosh has saved himself Rs 20,000 in out of pocket expenditure while accessing primary health care.
Purna Chandra Ghosh
Doctor at my doorstep
A hesitant Soumen Garain first visited the kiosk 2 years ago, with a severe cold. He had only heard of “the online doctor” and like many others in his village was unable to sacrifice a day’s wages to avail healthcare at the nearest facility available. The kiosk is located 3 kms away from his home, a journey he was able to undertake on his feet. One at the kiosk, the health assistants were able to explain to him that the doctor would be available and it is the doctor who would be prescribing him medicines for his ailments. The doctor available made a diagnosis and prescribed medication, which helped Mr Garin reduce the expenditure incurred and also, the distance between him and the doctor has now been reduced greatly. In his subsequent visits, he now brings his family members along and explains to them, that, “the doctor is now at our doorstep”.
Soumen Garain
Ease of access
Kamalpur is a village located at a distance of 10-12 kms from Uday Barhra. Tapasi Das, a local of Kamalpur had stomach aches and was unable to afford services being provided by the Rural Medical Practitioner, colloquially known as RMP or “quacks”. Tapasi then recalled that there is a health center, not too far where “city doctors were available on the computer”. She travelled 12 kms, with a stomach ache and was relieved to meet the health assistants, who assisted her, consulted the doctor and then took the medicine at Uday. She now visits the “online doctor” when she feels necessary.