Children of Dilkusha Orphanage Visit Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Medical Centre,
Suva, Fiji
On Saturday, June 16, 2018, a mini medical clinic was held for the children and staff of Dilkusha Home Orphanage at Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani (SSSS) Medical Centre in Muanikau, Suva. Previously, the volunteers of Sai Prema Foundation, Fiji had visited Dilkusha Home in Nausori and provided general health and dental check-ups. Now, as the SSSS medical centre is operational, the children and staff of the orphanage were invited to the brand new centre to get their check-ups done.
A bus was arranged to bring the children and staff to the medical centre on Saturday morning. Upon arrival, the children were greeted by the beloved Doctor Rabbit, from Colgate-Palmolive and all the volunteers. Apart from the regular staff of SSSS medical centre, other volunteers included a dentist, dental students, a pharmacist, medical students and other support volunteers.
After the welcome address, 39 children and four staff members were seen by the medical and dental team. The younger children were seen first, followed by older children and staff.
The children were pre-registered, so each child was called out and taken to the triage station where their height and weight were recorded. For some children, blood sugar and blood pressure were also checked. The triage station was manned by two nurses, two medical students and a dietician. A receptionist also provided assistance. It was a bit tricky getting the little ones to co-operate during check-ups, but with love and patience, the medical team and volunteers managed it.
After triage, the children were directed to the doctors who did full physical examinations and also talked to their care-givers about their medical history.
Once the children were seen by the doctors, they were sent to the dental team who did oral examination and also taught the correct techniques of brushing their teeth and oral hygiene. A few extractions/ fillings were done. Doctor Rabbit and one of the dental students showed the children how to brush their teeth correctly and handed out free oral health packs to all of them. The staff of Dilkusha Home were also offered medical and dental check-ups. The pharmacy team dispensed medicines prescribed to the children and staff, and also provided counseling on the correct use of their medicines. It was observed that some of the children were overweight/obese. The dietician offered counseling on healthy diet and lifestyle.
Generally, it was observed that most of the children were keeping good health. In previous medical camps at Dilkusha Home, it was noticed that some of the children had skin conditions, such as fungal infections, sores, boils and such. However, with this clinic, it was good to see a big improvement in children’s health, especially their skin.
After the clinic concluded, everyone was provided with a sumptuous lunch. The children also got the opportunity to play in the newly set-up play area at the medical centre. Birthdays were celebrated with cake-cutting, balloons and singing for four children who had their birthdays in June. One of the volunteers performed a magic show for the kids.
After group photos and a vote of thanks from the children of Dilkusha Home, they left the medical centre back for their home. Both the children and staff of the orphanage were grateful for this outing.
