Family adoption program is a unique program incorporated into undergraduate medical curriculum to provide the students with early community exposure, to orient them to the rural set up of our country and at the same time, provide a health related support system for the community who are deprived of the services. It is a true example of symbiotic relationship between both the two parties, the MBBS students as well as the community. But neither of the two understand the benefit this program offers to them. Many students attend FAP visits just for the sake of attendance and filling up of their FAP logbooks. However, I cannot deny the fact that there are few students who have imbibed service in their nerves. I would like to cite an instance that happened during one of the FAP hours in which a health camp was being conducted. I can remember a student who had one old grandma around 70-year-old, in her adopted family. The old lady could not walk neither could she stand straight. Her joints were folded and locked. She appeared weak and was left unattended by family members. The student sensed the pain and took all her efforts to provide care to the old grandma. On the day of health camp, she asked us for wheelchair so that she can bring the lady to the camp and get her medical consultation and medication. We could not help her because wheelchair assistance was not arranged for the camp day.
The student was very disappointed, then she arranged for a bicycle of a young boy cycling around and planned to bring the grandma by that. Unfortunately, even that did not work. Finally, she requested for the car that transported faculty to the camp site to bring the old lady to attend the camp. We were all speechless looking at her efforts. Permission was granted to her and she brought grandma to the camp, got her consultation and investigations done, collected medicines for her and escorted her to drop her back home. This is a true example of how family adoption program can be beneficial for the community and hence we expect full co-operation from the community but the irony of the situation is that many families are resistant to accept this program.
I will cite another experience from FAP visit . During the last field visit that I took the students, it was a day for allotment of new families. We took help from ASHA of the village in order to increase our acceptance among the residents. We had the list of houses; it was just that we were allotting houses to the students. People were so reluctant to accept us, to be enrolled into this program. Few families even lied that they are not separate family but they along with their neighbor comprise one family. Few people did not come out of their house, we kept knocking the door and no one responded, we saw women peeking from the windows and hiding so that they go un-noticed. In few houses, only one or two men were found who were under the effect of alcohol during the afternoon when we visited the field. To my surprise, few families straight away told us “hamare ghar me koi bimar ni h, doctor ki hame jarurat ni”. This resistance from the community de-motivates the tender minds of medical students.
Reason for non-acceptance by community:
- Lack of health awareness
- Absence of felt need pertaining to health.
- Hesitation due to absence of head of family or any male member in the house at the time of visit
The families who give consent to be a part of this program wanted to just wrap up the interaction with students as quickly as possible during initial 1-2 visits, they did not appeared to be interested in the program but on the contrary, once rapport was built, the same families accepted the student as a part of their own family. Few families even call up the students to ask when are they coming next and cooked food of students choice and offered it to them.
Hence, I conclude that gradually people are understanding and appreciating the program and our students are also able to build a good rapport with the community. This will help us achieve the goal of family adoption program.
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