Sadgamaya is the child centric project of Department of Homoepathy.It aims at managing problems of children below the age of 19 years.
It focuses mainly on managing health problems, behavioral and learning disorders of children.
These disorders are rising phenomenally in our country.Many of these children and their families undergo great mental trauma and loss of productive years as they fail to understand and manage these problems properly.
Sadgamaya through a wide network of dispensaries and hospitals and in collaboration with gramapanchayats and education department is spreading awareness and helping the children and families with proper management including homoeopathic medication,counselling,behaviour management and corrective teaching methods.
History
Sadgamaya meaning ‘way of truth’ is an off shoot of an earlier project of the Department ‘Jyothirgamaya’ which aimed at intellectual and behavioural development of students at high school level.
Sadgamaya was started in the year 2012 at Thrissur.it was extended to pathanamthitta in 2013 and later it was extended to all districts in 2014.Though it was concieved as an adolescent health project it is now focussing on all children below 19 years
How the project functions
Children who deteriorate progressively in studies and school life and those children who seems to hurt parents and others by their behavioural pattern are identified
They are identified by parents, teachers, friends and relatives. Awareness classes, talks, tv shows, radio programmes etc are arranged to pass on this message to them.
The identified children can be dealt near their locality by the govt or nhm homoeopathic dispensaries which are present in each panchayat .The medical officers there are empowered to deal with such cases. Cases are managed in preferential basis over general op cases on a specified day of the week mostly Saturday.
Difficult or complex cases are managed in district sadgamaya centre where a specialy trained doctor who is dedicated to deal with such cases alone is present. Here special education teacher and counselor too are present. Parents can approach district centre directly after taking appointment through phone. The numbers are available in internet .
Sadgamaya centre is usually attached to district hospitals under superintendent. The supdt is in charge of the sadgamaya centre which is supervised by the district medical officer. The day today activities are managed by a district coordinator who is specifically chosen from the medical officers in the district and who is trained and also has flair and interest in dealing with such cases. He/ she will be the charge medical officer. There may be two coordinators who manage OP cases.
How are cases managed in a sadgamaya centre
Cases are entertained mainly by appointments alone on first call first serve basis. The OP time is from morning 9-2 except for Sundays.
The patient who come to the clinic is first seen by the medical officer who makes an assessment of the problem of the child.detailed interview of child and parents is done and recorded in case record.
They are then sent to psychologist for detailed assessment with a note. The psychologist after a general interview understands the problem deeper and assessments using different psychological tools are done.
They are then sent to special education teacher if they are scholastically poor. Teacher examines the school notes and their marks and comes to an evaluation of his state and necessary corrective guidance and exercises initiated.
They are again assessed by the medical officer who decides on a correct medication after taking into account all the datas in front of him and also psychological and social reactions. They are advised to report after specific appointed date and reviewed again.
Once the cases become more manageable they are referred back to local dispensary near their residence so that it is more convenient for them to treat.
Homoeopathy offers a safe, effective and side effect free management of children in these cases. Apart from homoeopathic medication, counseling support by psychologist, and educational help by special teachers help children attain their real potential.