Bringing Healthcare Home: Strengthening Access Through Community Medical Camps

The Centre for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality (CWEGE) trained Community Organisers (CO) organized a series of health camps across Indupur (Himachal Pradesh), Thariyal (Punjab), and Kanti (Haryana) to ensure that every individual, regardless of location or financial status, has access to essential healthcare services. These camps were held in close collaboration with Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Auxiliary Nurse and Midwives (ANMs), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), and local panchayat officers.

Health camps are typically organized in response to seasonal illness outbreaks (such as viral fevers or eye flu) or when community members identify a need for intervention often voiced during regular SHG or village meetings with our trained Community Organizers (COs). Based on this local feedback, our COs coordinate with government health officials to arrange timely, need-based camps.

Many of these camps were organized as a rapid response to rising cases of viral fever and seasonal illness, when swift medical attention was required. These interventions were essential because many villagers face barriers like long distances to district health centers and financial constraints that deter them from seeking care. To overcome this, local schools and Anganwadi centers were temporarily transformed into healthcare access points, safe, familiar spaces where residents could be screened and treated on the spot. Importantly, these camps also delivered free essential medicines, allowing those in need to begin treatment immediately without relying on distant or unaffordable pharmacies.

At a Glance: Our Impact in 2023

• 170 villagers received free medical check-ups (39-men, 112-women, 19-children)
• Services included BP and sugar testing, fever screenings, and consultations
• All patients in need received free medication
• Camps organized in three villages across three states

Whether responding to sudden spikes in fever cases or organizing routine BP and sugar screenings, our team ensured that villagers didn’t have to postpone or avoid care due to cost or logistics thereby providing access to quality healthcare.