There are many people out there like Michael with serious health ailments like coronary heart problem, kidney failure, lung cancer and infection, etc.
Many people out there do not know exactly what problems they have regarding their health, but only that they are ill. A disease like coronary heart ailment cannot be found by a doctor pressing his stethoscope on your chest. This needs serious equipment like ECG, echo cardiograms, etc. to find out where exactly the problem lies in. (21 Belongia EA, Sullivan BJ, Chyou PH, 2001)
A proper problem would aid these people who cannot afford to waste time or money, in just checking the causes of their ailments.
Though community health clinics are available all around, it is often found that people hesitate to come here and wait for hours together. A mobile set-up, like ‘Clinic on wheels’ could be organized every second or third weekend, and also, on a particular area, to cater to the people around these places. Since people are mostly free on weekends, and they need not wait much, if the clinic is catering to one , say ‘100’ houses around an area, the programme would be successful.
Similarly, family health check-up as well as follow- up schemes are very helpful in bringing in help to people who hesitate to come up for treatments. Other forms of inducements for people to come to the health care centre would be to conduct talk shows in the communities. These would make people aware of the risks of certain form of illness, and what to do in the case of emergencies. (McCaig L, Hughes J., 1995)
If a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, help can be provided in the form of social funds, for his further treatment, his transportation to a good hospital, etc.
References:
McCaig L, Hughes J. Trends in antimicrobial drug prescribing among office-based physicians in the United States. JAMA 1995;273:214-219.
21 Belongia EA, Sullivan BJ, Chyou PH, et al: A community intervention trial to promote judicious antibiotic use and reduce penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage in children. Pediatrics 2001;108:575-583.
