Visit to the Community
The morning of 29th June brought to us the notice of a Family visit that had been planned for us on the 3rd of July as a part of our UG curriculum. An hour-long lecture on instructions, ending with our list of expectations.
3rd of July got all 200 of us gathered in the lecture hall, with our backpacks, all set for the field trip! We were as excited as we were anxious. ‘AETCOM’, this word has been lurking around us since our first year, we wrote essays, elucidating on the importance of attitude, ethics, and communication in medical practice, despite knowing the fact that it’s something intangible, something which can’t be taught, but only felt.
With questions like ‘how will I talk to the family?’, ‘whether I will be able to convince them?’ , ‘Will they even let me in, and what will be their first reaction?’, etc looming around all through the journey, we left for the field visit.
Upon reaching there, we were divided into groups of five with one mentor. One student had to take up three families and get their anthropometric data, Blood pressure, Random glucose test, and HbA1c tests done. Herein, ASHA workers emerged as a ‘superhero’ to help us get the families. It would have been impossible to do that without their help in the slum area which appeared no less than a big maze.
I knocked on the first door (recollecting every word instructed by my professor on how to communicate with the families and was ready to utter the same tape that was recorded in my mind). The door opened and the lady greeted me with a smile (which was unexpected!). She let me in and started the conversation herself. Upon talking to them further and explaining everything, they readily gave all the necessary details. The family had recently met with an accident with its members admitted to the hospital, yet they gracefully treated me. This made me learn to exercise empathy with compassion (terms that I had been writing all through my first year in the answer paper).
It was not easy to get the second family, but with the help of an ASHA worker, I got the other one. This time, it was a bit difficult to convince them and the ASHA worker helped me out with that. This made me realize that communication is not an interview wherein I go and introduce myself, ask for their details and jot it on a piece of paper! They’re human beings, who need to be treated with humility.
When I got the sphygmomanometer, they were so amused by the fact that I would be taking their BP. Initially, only the lady of the house interacted but upon seeing that BP was being measured, her son and daughter-in-law joined in. That way, I could create a rapport with the family and they started sharing their problems with me. I suggested they visit our college’s hospital.
The innocence of the family (which was reluctant initially) made me learn the importance of communication skills which is considered a fundamental prerequisite. A ‘thank you’ from the family at the end of the talk felt so heartwarming!
Heading towards the third family was the biggest challenge since I had to slog in the area with multiple potholes lined up from one end to the other, the mountains of a garbage dump, street animals scrounging for food, narrow lanes with an air of desolation explaining their perpetual state of poverty.
I recollect one of my friends who couldn’t adjust to the area and she felt suffocated standing in the street, so the lady herself asked her to leave.
Getting my third family was no less than a victory! This time, the ASHA worker explained the lady beforehand and she said,’ Doctor will ask a few questions’ pointing towards me. The word ‘Doctor’ felt so heavy for the first time after getting into MBBS.
While I was talking to her and jotting down the details, her eight-year-old son came there. With a friendly gesture, I tried talking to him and while I was measuring the lady’s height, he secretly signed her mother to get his height checked and when I did that, his happiness had no boundaries! After bidding goodbye, it started raining suddenly and I had to rush.
Rain, which is enjoyed with tea and bhajiya, was a havoc herein!
Finally, after everyone was done with their data collection, we had our selfie time and chit-chat. We were happy with our accomplishments and bade a goodbye glibly (realizing immediately how hollow it would have appeared).
Mumbai looks so different without our urban lenses. We’d come here to serve the community but ended up being served by them!