Rickets, a disease which occurs in children due to deficiency of Vitamins A and D and Calcium, is prevalent in Meghalaya, especially in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. However, till the middle of eighties not many people here knew about it and thought there was no cure.
It would have remained unnoticed had it not been for Father Jose Chunkapura of Don Bosco Fathers who, along with his students of Theology, during his reconnaissance of different localities found the symptom of rickets in numerous children. This prompted him to start Caring for Disabled Children or Caring Ministry, a charitable dispensary, where children affected with rickets were treated.
Twenty-nine years on, the dispensary on the premises of Sacred Heart Theological College in Mawlai continues the service treating hundreds of children who come from faraway places and remote villages.
“The free medical camp is held on every first Sunday of the month. We have doctors and nurses who volunteer. We also have students and Good Samaritans who come forward to help,” said Father Jude, who has taken charge after Father Jose’s transfer to West Bengal.
The monthly dispensary also gives free medicines, informed Fr Jude.
But initially it was a daunting task for Fr Jose to convince parents to come to the dispensary. “In the beginning, they used to say God created the children like that. Then I told them that God did not create them like that and it was an illness because of vitamin deficiency and we could do something about it. And later, they would say the treatment was too expensive. Then I told them that ‘if you do not have money immediately I will try to help you’… There were only 14 children in the beginning and it was not so difficult,” he added.
As many children were cured and the word spread, the footfall only increased. Now, the average number of patients visiting the camp is 400.
Rickets affects the bone structure due to deficiency in a child’s daily nutrition. It leads to a variety of deformities like bow legs, knock knees, twisted ankles and soft skull.
(Above) Parents wait outside the dispensary on the premises of Sacred Heart College of Theology in Mawlai and a child cries as Shullai administers injection
Dr MS Hu Dhar, who has been volunteering since the inception of the camp, said initially people thought it was a neural disease. “After finishing my medical studies in Assam in the mid-eighties, I came back home and went around the localities. It was before this camp started. When I saw the children I understood what afflicted them. So I told the registrar in the medical school about this and with his help I prepared a short guideline brochure for parents of these children. This brochure is still used and distributed among parents for awareness,” she said as she showed the brochure printed in Khasi.
The charitable camp on December 2 was abuzz with patients. Parents from as far as Mawkyrwat, Mairang, Pynursla and Jaintia Hills had come with their children.
A two-storeyed building houses the dispensary. The patients, who are categorised as new and old, are distributed among six doctors, three in each floor. Fr Jude said patients who come from faraway villages reach the camp early in the morning.
Samarlin Malngniang, the coordinator, was calling out the patients’ names. Everyone among the volunteers seemed to know the names and particulars of old patients. Malngniang has been working with Caring Ministry for the last 15 years. “Now I know the old cases and the patients. I have seen so many children getting cured. Two in my family have also benefitted from the treatment here,” she said in between shuffling files and prescriptions.
The camp gives free medicines and injections as prescribed by the doctors. Those who come from far stock up medicines so that they don’t have to be back for some time. Each time, fresh batches of medicines are procured.
Laiamon Shullai, a nurse at Supercare Hospital, was busy pacifying a screaming child with candies before she could push the injection into the soft skin. Shullai’s smile and soft eyes gave the child some hope of escaping the torture of the needle but before she could understand, the job was done. Another bout of crying and a candy landed on her palm. With patience and expertise, Shullai started conversing with the next child. All throughout, the expert nurse, who has been volunteering at the camp for 10 years now, did not lose her calm. And none at the camp does. “I first visited the camp with a friend who used to work here. I liked how people were serving and so I decided to volunteer. Later, the Don Bosco fathers helped me do my nursing course and here I am,” she said with a smile and added that she will continue to serve at the camp.
Ebina Nengnong, who stays in Mawlai, has been volunteering for the last three years. When asked what prompted her to join the camp, she said she was once a patient here and was cured and this made her decide to serve other children. “I also try to make parents in my locality aware of the disease and nutrition. Some listen and some don’t but I don’t give up,” said the woman, her eyes shone with determination.
Among other volunteers is a physiotherapist who works in NEHU. “Physiotherapy is an important part of the treatment. I get at least five patients but the number can go up depending on the rush,” said Eva Skhembil.
Skhembil said she wanted to serve the society and this camp “gives me the opportunity to do that, besides my own work”.
“It gives me utmost pleasure to come here and see this children and help them in my capacity,” she said.
Caring Ministry not only treats children with rickets but also sends out volunteers to remote areas to spread awareness and identify more cases. It also helps in education of disabled children. In the last 29 years, the ministry has cured over 26,000 children. At present, it is looking after 7,600 children. Besides Fr Jose, several others like Fr George Kottupalli, Fr Shaji Puykunnel and Fr Mathew George Kariapuram took the service ahead. Free medical camps are also organised in remote areas a few times during the year. “We do this with the help of a team of eight doctors, four nurses, students of Sacred Heart College and some 30 volunteers, all of whom give free service,” said Fr Jude.
The doctors examine each child and maintain a medical file for monitoring the case. However, there are challenges too. Sometimes parents do not return to the camp after they see signs of recovery. “But we need to examine the child to write on the report that he or she is cured,” said Dhar.
Both Dhar and Shullai said making parents understand about nutrition is a mammoth task. “I sometimes feel frustrated. No matter how much you tell them about nutrition, they continue to give their children rice and red tea, which is a staple here,” said Dhar.
Nengnong said she often tells parents to give eggs and milk to their wards instead of selling the products in the market. “But they say they are poor and cannot afford. So I tell them to keep aside an egg and some milk and sell the rest,” she sounded a little helpless.
Malngniang said the awareness level has gone up compared to the past but “more needs to be done to completely eradicate the disease”. Fr Jose also agreed.
The ministry also includes an afternoon school and tuition centre for rickets-affected and other poor and neglected children living in the nearby villages under the guidance of five dedicated teachers. Classes are from 1pm to 6pm. Students are given free uniforms and books as well as food. There are 135 children under the literacy programme.
~ NM