Project Swaasthya: Primary Care for Migrant Workers using Telemedicine

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2021-22
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Abstract

This case study documents how DWWP in collaboration with Smile foundation developed and implemented the idea of three-month emergency health package to provide basic essential health services to migrant workers at their doorsteps affected by pandemic, lockdown and monsoon. The project was implemented through telemedicine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Patients who visited the mobile vans were screened by a nurse who connected them to doctors through phone and shared the prescription through WhatsApp. The services include screening, diagnosis, treatment, counselling and referrals. DWWP designed a health survey to collect primary data about migrants vis. a. vis. demographics, access to sanitary products, health profile and access to health care in 10 identified slums using a convenience sampling method. These findings were used to understand the disease profile of the residents and subsquently provide them with nescessary health care services. Community mobilizers were used to spread awareness about the mobile van OPD clinics. Impact of the project includes 60 OPDs with 3,847 beneficiaries with majority of them being women and children, 3000 hygeine kits were distributed in the community, 47 cases were referred to higher centres and 34 community meetings were conducted for generating awareness regarding COVID-19 and NCDs. Some of the learnings include importance of partnership where DWWP and Smile Foundation leveraged each other's strengths to reach the poor, use of telemedicine helped beat the lockdown and implementation of prevention and awareness program, behaviour change as a result of community outreach and use of generic medicines. This model can be used to provide low cost primary care to vulnerable, marginalized and unreached population where health care is sparse.

Description
Case Study as part of Stories of Change Series
Keywords
Basic Health Care for Migrants Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic
Course Tag
Technology and Health. Civil Society Interventions in Health. Programme Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation. Understanding Health Systems and Policy. Health Education and Communication. National/Local Advocacy.
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