Jamshedpur, July 1: Students and interns of MGM Medical College and Hospital in Mango gave a fitting tribute to Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy on National Doctors' Day by deciding to adopt a village in Bodam block of East Singhbhum district.
"The proposal of the students to cater to the healthcare needs of a village is certainly laudable. We are working on identifying the village in Bodam block, which is near the institution. Students can undertake the activity as part of their curriculum under the preventive and social medicine course. We will extend full support because there can't be a better tribute to Dr B.C. Roy who is also known for his social services," Dr A.C. Akhouri, principal of MGM Medical College and Hospital, said.
Gaurav, Roy, a final year MBBS student of the college, said they would pool in funds from their own resources and look forward to assistance from their institution for the purpose. "We will work out the logistics soon."
Bodam block has 12 panchayats and 65 revenue villages and is barely a few kilometres from the medical college.
"We are yet to zero in on the village, but we will do it soon. The idea dawned on us while we were conducting awareness campaigns in nearby villages asking people to attend the free health check-up camp on our campus as part of the Doctor's Day programme today," Roy said.
Students of the medical college had gone in groups to various villages and urban slums in Mango, Dimna and Bodam blocks and in Baliguma and Bhillaipahari panchayats to urge villagers to turn up at the day-long camp.
Meanwhile, more than 200 villagers got their pressure, blood sugar and general health checked at the camp today. They were also prescribed medicines.
"We are grateful to our faculties who spared their time to attend the camp to not only treat the patients but also prescribe medicines," said Abhirup Shome, another final year student of the college.
The students have been observing National Doctors' Day for the last three years, but have started to counsel villagers on lifestyle diseases and distribute pamphlets on hygiene practices from this year.
"We also informed the villagers about the harmful effects of consuming tobacco products and spurious liquor and made them aware of basic hygiene practices, symptoms of common diseases and preventive steps against bacterial and viral diseases," second-year student Varun Kumar said.
Earlier, a blood donation camp was organised at the MGM Medical Hospital in Sakchi to mark the National Doctors' Day.
