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Course for Internal Examination

Paper Code: PA03CMSW23

Title of Paper: Social Work Practice in Health Care

Content

Sr No. Particular Pg.No

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1. CHANGING CONCEPTS OF HEALTH 2

2. Determinant of Health 4

3. AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE SERVICE 5

4. Disease 6

5. Distinction between Disease, Illness and Sickness 7

6. CONCEPT OF PREVENTION 11

7. Health Scenario in India 12

8. The challenge of caring for a billion 13

9. Human Development Indicators: A challenge for all 14

10. Good health & well being 14

11. Disease/ health conditions prevailing in India: Communicable and 17

noncommunicable Disease

12. Interventions with a large potential impact on health outcomes 19

8. Historical Development of Medical Social Work in the west and in India 21

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9. Role & Functions of medical social worker 31

10. Role of Social workers in the child guidance clinics 35

11. Role in Counseling health centers 36

12. Role in Community Health Centers and PHCs 37

13. Role of Medical Social Workers in Blood Bank and Health Camps 39

14. Role in Health Camps 41

Unit-1

Concept of Health, Well-being & Diseases:

Health: Meaning, Concept, Determinants. Diseases: Causes & Prevention. Health Scenario in
India. Epidemiology & etiology of major communicable & non communicable diseases

Health-Definition

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely an absence
of disease or infirmity.” It is an ability to lead a socially and economically productive life.``

The concept of health as defined by WHO is broad and positive in its implications; it sets out the
standard, the standard of “positive” health.

CHANGING CONCEPTS OF HEALTH

🞂 Health is perceived in different ways giving rise to various concepts of health. Health
has evolved over the centuries as a concept from an individual concern to a
worldwide social goal.

Biomedical Concept

🞂 Health means “absence of disease.”

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🞂 It was felt that the human body is a machine and disease is an outcome of the breakdown
of the machine, and one of the doctor’s tasks was to repair the machine.

🞂 Developments in medical and social sciences led to the conclusion that the biomedical
concept of health was inadequate.

Ecological Concept

🞂 Ecologists viewed health as a dynamic equilibrium between man and his environment,
and disease – a maladjustment of the human organism to the environment.

🞂 Health = is a dynamic equilibrium between man & his environment,

🞂 Disease = maladjustment of the human organisms to the environment.

🞂 The concept supports the need for clean air, safe water, ozonic layer in the atmosphere,
etc to protect us from exposure to unhealthy factors.

Psychosocial Concept

🞂 Advances in social sciences showed that health is not only a biomedical phenomenon, but
one which is influenced by social, psychological, cultural, economic and political factors
of the people concerned. Thus health is both a biological and social phenomenon.

Holistic Concept

🞂 Holistic concept recognizes the strength of social, economic, political and environmental
influences on health.

🞂 It has been variously described as multidimensional process involving the wellbeing of

the person as a whole. The emphasis is on the promotion and protection of health.

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Determinants of Health

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🞂 Health is determined by multiple factors.

🞂 The health of an individual and community is influenced by individual (internal) and

external factors.

🞂 The individual factors include his own genetic factors and the external factors include
environmental factors.

🞂 These factors interact and these interactions may be health promoting or

deleterious(harmful).

🞂 Thus, the health of individuals and whole communities may be considered to be the
result of many interactions.

BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS

🞂 • The health of an individual partly depends on the genetic constitutions.

🞂 • A number of diseases e.g. chromosomal anomalies[irregularities], inborn error of

metabolism [chemical imbalances], mental retardation and some types of diabetes are
some extent due to genetic origin.

🞂 [Disorders in metabolism can be inherited, in which case they are also known as inborn
errors of metabolism, or they may be acquired during your lifetime.

🞂 Phenylketonuria (PKU): is a rare inherited disorder that causes an amino acid called
phenylalanine to build up in the body. PKU is caused by a defect in the gene that helps
create the enzyme needed to break down phenylalanine.. Mental retardation results if the
condition is not recognized.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

🞂 Biological: disease producing agent (e.g. bacteria, virus, fungi), intermediate host (e.g.
mosquito, sand fly) etc.

🞂 Physical: Air, water, light, noise, soil, climate, radiation housing, waste etc.

🞂 Psychosocial: psychological makeup of individual and structure and functioning of

society. E.g. habit, beliefs, culture, custom, religion etc.

LIFE STYLE

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🞂 • Behavioral pattern and lifelong habits e.g. smoking and alcohol consumption, food
habit, personal hygiene, rest and physical exercise, bowel and sleeping patterns, sexual
behavior.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

🞂 • It consist of education, occupation and income.

🞂 • The world map of illiteracy closely coincides with the maps of poverty, malnutrition, ill
health, high infant and child mortality rates.

🞂 • The very state of being employed in productive work promotes health, because the
unemployed usually show a higher incidence of ill-health and deaths.

🞂 • There can be no doubt that economic progress has positive impact factor in reducing
morbidity, increasing life expectancy and improving the quality of life.

AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE SERVICE

🞂 • Health and family welfare services cover a wide spectrum of personal and community
services for treatment of diseases, prevention of disease and promotion of health.

🞂 • The purpose of health services is to improve the health status of the population.

🞂 • For example, immunization of children can influence the incidence/prevalence of

particular disease.

🞂 Provision of safe water can prevent mortality and morbidity from water-borne diseases.

AGING OF THE POPULATION

🞂 • By the year 2020, the world will have more than one billion people aged sixty or over
and more than two-thirds of them living in developing countries.

🞂 • A major concern of rapid population aging is the increased prevalence of chronic

diseases and disabilities both being condition that tend to accompany the aging process
and deserve special attention.

OTHER DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

🞂 • Except above discussed determinants, there are many more determinates of health and
disease of an individual and community.

🞂 These include: • Science and technology • Information and communication • Gender •

Equity and social justice • Human rights etc.

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CONCEPT OF DISEASE

🞂 Webster defines disease as “a condition in which body health is impaired, a departure

from a state of health, an alteration of the human body interrupting the performance of
vital functions”.

🞂 The oxford English Dictionary defines disease as “ a condition of the body or some part
or organ of the body in which its functions are disturbed or deranged.”

🞂 Ecological point of view disease is defined as “a maladjustment of the human organism

to the environment.”

🞂 The simplest definition is that disease is just the opposite of health: i.e. any deviation
from normal functioning or state of complete physical or mental well-being.

🞂 A disease is a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function, that

affects part or all of an organism.

🞂 The study of disease is called pathology which includes the study of cause.

Distinction between Disease, Illness and Sickness

🞂 The term disease literally means “without ease” (uneasiness), when something is wrong
with bodily function.

🞂 Illness refers to the presence of a specific disease, and also to the individual’s
perceptions and behavior in response to the disease, as well as the impact of that disease
on the psychosocial environment.

🞂 Sickness refers to a state of social dysfunction.

🞂 Disease is a physiological/psychological dysfunction.

🞂 Illness is a subjective state of the person who feels aware of not being well.

🞂 Sickness is a state of social dysfunction i.e. a role that the individual assumes when ill
(sickness role).

THEORIES OF DISEASES CAUSATION

1. Supernatural theory of disease

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Disease is due to super power e.g. gods, evil spirits.

2. Tridosha theory of disease

The doshas or humors are:

Vaata (Wind), Pitta (gall) and Kapha (mucus). Perfect balance of tridosha is healthy.
Disturbance in balance is disease.

Theory of Contagion

Spreading of disease by being close to or touching other people.

4. Miasmatic theory of disease causation

Disease is due to noxious (harmful) air and vapors (steam/fog/mist)

These concepts were prevailing before Louis Pasteur (1822-1895).

5. Germ Theory of disease

🞂 In 1860, Louis Pasteur demonstrated the presence of bacteria in air. This theory
emphasized that the sole cause of disease is microbes.

🞂 The theory is generally referred to as a one-to- one relationship between disease agent
and disease.

Disease agent ------ Man------- Disease

6. Epidemiological Triad concept

🞂 The germ theory of disease has many limitations. For example it is well – known that not
all exposed to tuberculosis bacilli develop tuberculosis, the same condition in an
undernourished person may result in clinically manifestation.

🞂 Epidemiological Triad

🞂 Agent------- Host---------- Environment

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Agent- Host- Environment

🞂 Agent is the direct cause of a disease, eg an infection or other factor that disrupts health
in a specific manner.

🞂 Infections ( bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, parasitic worms etc.

🞂 Physical factors ( heat, cold, radiation)

🞂 Chemicals and allergens

🞂 Nutritional factors both in excess and deficiency.

🞂 Host factors

🞂 Agents, even when they are potentially pathogenic and in sufficient quantity, may not
produce disease in an individual, now called “host” , if he or she has the capability to
ward off their onslaught.

🞂 Behavioural habits (personal hygiene, health seeking)

🞂 Age

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🞂 Gender

🞂 Ethnic group

🞂 Physiological state( sedentary life style, fatigue, pregnancy, stress)

🞂 Education, Income, social status

🞂 Genetic background(susceptibility/resistance)

🞂 Environment

🞂 Environment can modify the way that the host and agent interact in some cases protecting
the health and in others increasing the host’s vulnerability.

🞂 Physical environment ( climate and surroundings)

🞂 Biological environment ( population density, contact with flora and fauna)

🞂 Social and Economical Environment (Developed Vs. Developing countries, war, poverty,
disruptions to civil society).

7. Multi-Factorial Etiology

🞂 The germ theory of disease or single cause of disease is always not true.

🞂 The germ theory of disease was overshadowed by multi-factorial cause theory in 19th
century.

🞂 As a result of advancement in public health, communicable diseases began to decline and

are replaced by new type of diseases so called modern disease of civilization.

🞂 Example: Lung cancer, CHD, Mental illness etc. The disease could not be explained on
the basis of germ theory of disease and can not be controlled or prevented on that basis.

🞂 The realization began that multiple factors are responsible for disease causation where
there is no clear single agent.

🞂 The purpose of knowing multiple factors of disease is to quantify and arrange them in
priority sequence for modification to prevent particular disease.

8. Web of Causation

This model of disease causation was suggested by Mac Mohan and Pugh.

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This model is ideally suited in the study of chronic disease where the disease agent is often not
known, but is the outcome of interaction of multiple factors.

The web of causation considers all the predisposing factors of any type and their complex
interaction with each other.

Myocardial Ischemia

Myocardial ischemia is reduced blood flow to heart

Hyperlipidemia is high cholesterol.

Coronary occlusion is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. 

(The aorta (the main blood supplier to the body) branches off into two main coronary blood
vessels (also called arteries). These coronary arteries branch off into smaller arteries, which
supply oxygen-rich blood to the entire heart muscle.)

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Atherosclerosis -- sometimes called hardening of the arteries -- can also slowly narrow the
arteries throughout your body.

HTN-hypertension

CONCEPT OF PREVENTION

🞂 Primordial prevention

🞂 • Primary prevention

🞂 • Secondary prevention

🞂 • Tertiary Prevention

LEVELS OF PREVENTION

🞂 Primordial Prevention :

Prevention from Risk Factors.

Prevention of emergence or development of risk Factors.

Discouraging harmful life styles.

Encouraging or promoting healthy eating habits.

🞂 Primary Prevention:

Pre-pathogenesis Phase of a disease.

Action taken prior to the onset of the disease:

Immunization & Chemo-prophylaxis (the use of drugs to prevent disease)

🞂 Secondary Prevention:

🞂 Halt the progress of a disease at its incipient phase.

🞂 Early diagnosis & Adequate medical treatment.

🞂 Tertiary Prevention:

🞂 Intervention in the late Pathogenesis Phase. Reduce impairments, minimize

disabilities & suffering.

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Health Scenario in India

Introduction

Health and health care need to be distinguished from each other for no better reason than that the
former is often incorrectly seen as a direct function of the latter. Heath is clearly not the mere
absence of disease. Good Health confers on a person or group freedom from illness - and the
ability to realize one's potential. Health is therefore best understood as the indispensable basis for
defining a person's sense of wellbeing.

The health of populations is a distinct key issue in public policy discourse in every mature
society often determining the deployment of huge society. They include its cultural
understanding of ill health and well-being, extent of socio-economic disparities, reach of health
services and quality and costs of care and current bio-medical understanding about health and
illness.

Healthcare in India

Health sector in India is the responsibility of the state, local and also the central government. But
in terms of service delivery it is more concerned with state. The centre is responsible for health
services in union territories without a legislature and is also responsible for developing and
monitoring national standards and sponsoring numerous schemes for implementation by state
governments.

The challenge of caring for a billion

● India is the second most populous country in the world.

• The death rate has declined but birth rates continue to be high in most of the states.
• Health care structure in the country is over-burdened by increasing population
• Family planning programs need to be (re)activated

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Human Development Indicators: A challenge for all

• Longevity, literacy and GDP per capita are the main indicators of human development
• Longevity is a measure of state of health, and is linked to income and education
• Weakness in health sector has an adverse effect on longevity
• India ranks low (129th) amongst world nations judged by HDI

High Burden of Disease

• India faces high burden of disease because of lack of environmental sanitation and safe
drinking water, under-nutrition, poor living conditions, and limited access to preventive
and curative health services
• Lack of education, gender inequality and explosive growth of population contribute to
increasing burden of disease
• Full impact of the HIV epidemic and tobacco related diseases is yet to be felt.

SDG 3: Good health & well being

The Challenge

Poor health constitutes suffering and deprivation of the most fundamental kind. Over the years,
significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the
common killers associated with child and maternal mortality. Despite global progress, an
increasing proportion of child deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Globally,
the incidence of major infectious diseases has declined since 2000, including HIV/AIDS,
malaria, and TB, but the challenge of these and new pandemics remains in many regions of the
world. We have made immense progress globally in finding newer treatments, vaccines, and
technologies for healthcare, but universal affordable access to healthcare remains a challenge

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Why is this important?

Not only does disease impact the wellbeing of an individual, it burdens family and public
resources, weakens societies, and squanders (throw away) potential. The health and wellbeing of
people at all ages therefore lies at the heart of sustainable development. Protection from disease
is not only fundamental to survival, but it enables opportunity for everyone and strengthens
economic growth and prosperity.

India has made some progress in reducing its under-five mortality rate, which declined from 125
per 1,000 live births in 1990-91 to 50 per 1,000 live births in 2015-16, and its maternal mortality
rate, which declined from 212 per 100,000 live births in 2007-09 to 167 in 2013. India has also
made significant strides in reducing the prevalence of HIV and AIDS across different types of
high-risk categories, with adult prevalence reducing from 0.45% in 2002 to 0.27% in 2011.
However, a quarter of global TB cases occur in India where nearly 2.1 million people live with
the disease, and an estimated 423,000 die annually as a result. The Indian government’s National
Health Mission prioritises national wellbeing and is leading change in this area, in addition to
targeted national programmes against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.

PM Modi's new Cabinet clears ₹23,132 crore package for Covid management in July, 2021. All
state governments will be consulted to chart out a future roadmap so that oxygen, beds, crucial
medicines do not pose a challenge in future. Out of this ₹23,000 crore, the Centre will
give ₹15,000 crore and the state will give ₹8,000 crore, the minister said. Union health minister
Mansukh Mandaviya said.

 In April 2020, the Cabinet had approved ₹15,000 crore package for Covid-19 emergency
response, which was utilised to the maximum to upgrade the health infrastructure of the country,
health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Special focus on child health care

The new health minister mentioned child health care as he announced the new package which
includes provision for 20,000 new ICU beds. About 20 per cent of it will be meant for children

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or be used for a hybrid purpose -- for both children and adults, the minister said. The package
also has the provision for 736 district paediatric care units. The announcement comes amid
apprehension that Covid 3rd wave, if it comes in India, might impact children.

Budget 2020 -2021 (India)

The overall budgetary expenditure by Centre and states in FY20 budget estimates stood at Rs
60.72 lakh crores. In terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the government spend on
healthcare is 1.6 percent in FY20 budget estimate a small rise from 1.5 percent in FY19.
Expenditure on health includes expenditure on medical and public health, family welfare and
water supply and sanitation. Primary healthcare accounts for 52.1 per cent of India's current
public expenditure on health as per the National Health Estimates, 2016-17. The National Health
Policy - 2017 stated that health spend by government should be 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025. The
policy recommended to spend at least two third of Government’s health expenditure on primary
healthcare, in addition to setting a target to reduce the proportion of households facing
catastrophic health expenditure from the current levels by 25 percent by 2025.

Budget 2020 -2021 (Gujarat)

In the Gujarat budget for 2020-21, presented by the government, a healthy allocation of, Rs

11,243 crore for health was seen.

National health policy 2016- 2017

Goal

The policy envisages as its goal the attainment of the highest possible level of health and
wellbeing for all at all ages, through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all
developmental policies, and universal access to good quality health care services without anyone
having to face financial hardship as a consequence. This would be achieved through increasing
access, improving quality and lowering the cost of healthcare delivery. The policy recognizes the
pivotal importance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An indicative list of time bound

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quantitative goals aligned to ongoing national efforts as well as the global strategic directions is
detailed at the end of this section.

Objectives

Improve health status through concerted policy action in all sectors and expand preventive,
promotive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative services provided through the public health
sector with focus on quality

Policies

The policy identifies coordinated action on seven priority areas for improving the environment
for health:

● The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

● Balanced, healthy diets and regular exercises.
● Addressing tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse
● Yatri Suraksha – preventing deaths due to rail and road traffic accidents
● Nirbhaya Nari –action against gender violence
● Reduced stress and improved safety in the work place
● Reducing indoor and outdoor air pollution

The policy also articulates the need for the development of strategies and institutional
mechanisms in each of these seven areas, to create Swasth Nagrik Abhiyan –a social movement
for health. It recommends setting indicators, their targets as also mechanisms for achievement in
each of these areas. The policy recognizes and builds upon preventive and promotive care as an
under-recognized reality that has a two-way continuity with curative care, provided by health
agencies at same or at higher levels.

Disease/ health conditions prevailing in India

Communicable diseases:

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Tuberculosis

HIV/AIDS

Diarrhoeal diseases

Malaria and other vector-borne conditions

Leprosy

Non-communicable Diseases:

Cancers

Diabetes

Mental illness

Blindness

Cardiovascular diseases

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), (a chronic inflammatory lung disease) and
asthma

Oral diseases

Infant Mortality rate 2020

The current infant mortality rate for India in 2020 is 29.848 deaths per 1000 live births, a 3.48%
decline from 2019.

Maternal Mortality rate

113 per 100,000 live births in 2016-18

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India has committed itself to the latest UN target for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
for MMR at 70 per 1,00,000 live births by 2030. As per NHP (National Health Policy) 2017, the
target for MMR is 100 per 1,00,000 live births by 2020.

Sex ratio 2020

Sex ratio is defined as the number of males per 100 females. 

Sex Ratio of India is 108.176, i.e., 108.176 males per 100 females in 2020. It means
that India has 924 females per 1000 males. In absolute terms, India has 48.04% female
population compare to 51.96% male population.

Life expectancy

The current life expectancy for India in 2020 is 69.73 years, a 0.33% increase from 2019.

Fertility rate

The current fertility rate for India in 2020 is 2.200 births per woman, a 0.9% decline from 2019.

Interventions with a large potential impact on health outcomes

• Immunization

• DOTs for tuberculosis (Directly observed treatment, short-course) also known

as TB-DOTS) 

• Maternal health and safe motherhood interventions

• Family planning

• School health interventions

• HIV/AIDS prevention

• Integrated management of childhood illnesses

• Treatment of STD

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• Malaria control

• Tobacco control

Epidemiology

🞂 Epidemiology is the study of distribution and determinants of disease and conditions

among populations.

Communicable disease

🞂 Definition of communicable disease

🞂 An infectious disease (such as cholera, hepatitis, influenza, malaria, measles, or

tuberculosis) that is transmissible by contact with infected individuals or their bodily
discharges or fluids (such as respiratory droplets, blood, or semen), by contact with
contaminated surfaces or objects, by ingestion of contaminated food or water, or by direct
or indirect contact with disease vectors (such as mosquitoes, fleas, or mice)

🞂 NOTE: The terms communicable disease and contagious disease are often used

interchangeably. However, communicable diseases such as malaria or schistosomiasis
that are spread by contact with disease vectors are not typically considered to be
"contagious" diseases since they cannot be spread from direct contact with another
person.

🞂 Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The

urinary tract or the intestines may be infected. Symptoms include abdominal pain,
diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine.

Communicable Diseases are caused by

⮚ Caused by micro-organisms.

⮚ Spread from person to person using environmental routes.

⮚ Generally, they have a definite latent (or incubation) period.

⮚ Most communicable diseases have a definite onset.

⮚ Caused by poor sanitation and unhygienic conditions.

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⮚ Prevention possible by immunization and improvement in sanitation and hygiene.

Examples of Communicable Diseases

Malaria, Diarrhoea, Pneumonia, Common Cold, AIDS, Typhoid, Chicken Pox, Measles,
Rabies, Poliomyelitis, etc, Covid-19

Non-Communicable Diseases

⮚ Absence of a known agent of causation.

⮚ Related to life-style and behavioural patterns of people. For most non-communicable

diseases, multiple risk factors are thought to be responsible.

⮚ Chronic and permanent in nature.

⮚ Long latent period.

⮚ Indefinite onset.

⮚ Prevention largely difficult and requires lifestyle and behavioural modification.

Examples of Non-Communicable Diseases

High Blood Pressure, Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, Coronary Heart Disease, Cancers, Mental
Diseases, Accidents

Unit-2

Medical Social Work in Field Setting:

History of Social Work in India & Abroad. Role & Functions of Medical Social Worker. Skill &
Technique used in Medical Social Worker Practice.

Practice of Medical & Psychiatric Social Workers: General Hospital, Government, Corporate &
Private, Specific disease hospitals ,Child Guidance Clinics, community & counselling health
centers, Blood bank, Health camps.

Historical Development of Medical Social Work in the west and in India

Medical Social Work in the West

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Medical social work emerged as a branch of the profession of social work due to some events
and developments that took place in the late 19th century.

 England

  A group of volunteers paid friendly visits to the discharged patients to find how well they
have adjusted to their home conditions during 1880’s.

By 1895 Sir Charles Loch recommended that lady almoners should visit the patient’s home to
prevent the abuse of drugs given free of cost by the charitable hospital.

During their visit they found out that- host of other social problems needed to be handled.

Hence while disbursing the free medicine she tapped many other community resources to help
the patient to solve the social problems.

 USA

• By 1900 home visits were done by nurses of the discharged patients from hospitals.

• They treated the patients at home demonstrated the value of viewing the patient in his
home surroundings.

• In 1902 Dr. Emerson of John Hopkin Universty of Baltimore appreciated the

significance of social aspects in illness and health and made the medical students visit the
patients’ home.

• The aim behind this decision was to study the impact of living condition on health and
illness.

• This contributed to realize the need of a person who knew and could communicate to
others the social and cultural factors affecting health.

• By 1905 Dr. Richard C. Cabot succeeded in getting appointed a social worker in the
Massachussets General Hospital, Boston, USA.

• By the time social work helped to demonstrate social dimension of illness and the
treatment offered which was different from the purely medical focus of the doctors.

• Initial thirty years the number of social workers in hospitals multiplied slowly but
steadily.

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• Apart from direct dealing with the patients they started getting engaged in
administration, planning, joint teaching research, public health programmes, community
activities etc.

• Today medical social workers in the west are in a highly competitive situation because of
their awareness about the psycho-social aspects of health and illness.

Medical Social Work in India

• Service to the sick has been a part of Indian tradition, however its scientific orientation
can be said to be of recent origin.

• Its history goes back to Buddhist period during which monasteries built hospitals for the
care of the sick where emotional and environmental problems of the patients were taken
care of by monks and monasteries.

• During feudal times religion and philanthropy dealt with the social maladjustments.
Rulers like Chandragupta, Ahoka, Vikramaditya, Harshavardhan had the welfare of the
people at heart.

Contributions of various organizations.

• 1897- First school for blind in Amritsar was started.

• Hindu Kushta Nivarana Sang- Anti leprosy work under the leadership of Mahatma
Gandhi created awareness about leprosy.

• Ramkrishna mission founded by Swami Vivekananda was rendering services to millions

of sufferers

• Ayurveda system consider that body, mind and spirit form distinguishable aspects of an
inseparable unity.

• 1936 - The Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work was established.

• 1937 - A Child Guidance Clinic was started by TISS

• 1939 - A Bureau of Maternity and Child Welfare was set up by Red Cross.

• 1945 - Some Indian doctors who had been abroad had observed the functioning of
medical social workers and they felt the need of having a similar pattern of team work in
India.

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• 1945 - Health survey development committee appointed by government of India headed

by Mr. Joseph Bhore recommended appointment of medical social workers in hospitals.

• 1946 - First medical social worker was appointed in J. J. Hospital, Bombay.

• 1948 - Miss Gouri Rani Banerjee took charge of the newly developed specialization in
Medical and Psychiatric social work.

• 1950 - First trained social worker was appointed in Lady Irwin Hospital.

• In India medical social workers began working in hospitals, now, in clinics, dispensaries
public health programmes, public welfare agencies etc and apart from the preventive and
social medicine department they are now working in almost all the departments of
hospitals of big cities.

• Contemporary situation of social work practice in health.

• Medical and psychiatric social work which was generally confined to practice in
treatment centres is now shifting its base away from the clinical to the community
settings.

• There is a shift in the focus of social workers from helping in treatment of illnesses to
preventing illnesses and promoting health. [Concept of wellness]

• Psycho-social human therapeutic services at the school and the college levels to bring
awareness about nutrition issues like substance abuse, sex, HIV/AIDS so on and so forth
can in fact prevent many modern day diseases.

• Social workers in the field of health need both generalist and specialized knowledge and
skills.

• We are into an era of specializations and super specialties.

• For instance along with generic, we have to have a specialized way of working with
different vulnerable groups.

• For eg, a student who wants to work with HIV/AIDS can specialize in this field and get
an in depth and intense training to work better with such patients, in comparison to a
social worker who may choose to specialize in the field of disaster management.

• The earlier focus of medical and psychiatry was on psycho analysis and behaviour
therapies. Todays’s reality demands a shift from traditional and time consuming therapies
to more relevant and practical ones.

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• Our students can be trained to develop the latest therapeutic skills through skill
workshops, acting workshops, role plays by making it as and integral part of the training,
so that a repertoire of skills at their disposal when they venture out in the field.

• Research on new techniques, methods and skills and teach the upcoming social workers
for treating particular illnesses.

• We have to fully utilize the know-how at our disposal and take lead roles in dealing with
problems like terrorism, violence, drug abuse, disaster and the like.

• Health problems and physical and mental disabilities of the aged are going to be major
challenges in future, however geriatric social work is still in its infancy.

• In cancer 70 percent of the causes are environmenal hence preventable and need to be
addressed by the social workers than doctors.

• There is an urgent need to go beyond the hospitals into communities and work directly
with the people and make them more aware of their health needs.

• The social workers of future should play an increasing role in the administration of the
hospitals.

• Training in hospital administration should find its place in our curriculum.

• The domain of social work intervention in health arena has constantly expanded and now
needs to be further specialized in dealing with people afflicted by AIDS, substance
abusers, developmentally disabled and the like.

Skills used in MSW

1. Active Listening

Much of a social worker’s role is to listen effectively. This means reflecting back what
clients say and being engaged in every conversation so that they know you understand
them. Good listening establishes trust and respect early on, so clients will feel
comfortable confiding in you. Most importantly, active listening not only builds a
therapeutic alliance, but clients also feel seen and understood by you. Feeling visible and
affirmed is a core component of any therapeutic alliance in any practice setting.

2. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Many people who decide to be social workers already have a high EQ, or emotional
intelligence. This includes high levels of self-awareness, empathy, and sensitivity to

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others. Social work will often require balancing what you know (e.g., symptoms of a
certain mental illness) and what you intuit (i.e., reading between the lines of what is said).

3. Organization

In addition to helping clients, social workers provide case management services, such as
billing, maintaining collateral relationships, making phone calls, and networking with
other service providers. Providing clinical case management and psychosocial support
requires a great deal of organization and the ability to prioritize according to the urgency
of a client’s needs.

4. Critical Thinking

People are complex, and our clients often seek help for problems in many domains of
their lives. Being able to think on your feet and to think critically and creatively will
allow you to effectively help your clients.

5. Tolerance

Social workers work with diverse clients. Being culturally responsive and approaching
clients who are from different racial, socio-economic, and ethnic communities with
respect and openness is a core component of social work practice.

6. Setting Boundaries

Social workers often feel that their work is never truly complete, and many take the
emotional stress of their work home with them (intentionally or not). Setting boundaries
between yourself and your clients, protecting time for self-care, and seeking support
through one’s family, friends, and a broader professional community will help you create
a healthier work-life balance. Leaving work at the office and enjoying personal time will
make you a more effective professional and a happier individual.

7. Empathy

Understanding others intellectually, culturally, and emotionally is important in social

work. Without understanding or empathy, it is almost impossible to help clients. Empathy
is the ability to imagine oneself in someone else’s situation and to feel some of what that
person may be experiencing. Empathy, like all skills, can be understood and honed. Most
people who choose to be social workers are already naturally empathic, but it still merits
practice.

8. Communication

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Social workers must communicate in many different ways and with many different
people. It is important to be clear and transparent about the scope of services that you can
provide as their social worker.

This means saying what is within the realm of possibility and what is not. These can be
hard conversations to have, especially when you want to do all you can to help your
client. But, as you will learn in time, we have our limits. Be sure to incorporate this
discussion as you are building a relationship during contracting and goal setting.

Thus, this process is both written and verbally explored. Additional communication
occurs between care providers, and you will be required to document what you do with
your clients and to provide written reports for third party payers, your supervisor or
agency administration, and co-workers.

9. Inner Strength

Social workers’ work can be emotionally challenging. When you are dedicated, it can
take a lot out of you. It is essential to your health and the efficacy of your practice that
you take care of yourself, emotionally and psychologically. You will derive more
fulfillment from your work, and you will be a more effective helper to your clients if you
take steps to fortify your personal strengths and capacities.

Techniques used in MSW

1. Supportive Techniques used in MSW

a. Acceptance

It is one of the basic techniques of helping. The abstract principle of acceptance is made
into a reality through the technique of acceptance. It is an ongoing disposition through
which the client feels that s/he is welcome to the social work agency and the caseworker
wants to help him / her. Acceptance by the social caseworker is conveyed through words,
the tone of the words and the overall behaviour which is visible to the client. Further, it is
characterised by the worker’s warmth and courtesy to the client, his/her demonstration of
interest in the client. , his/her cordiality. The way the client is received, given a seat and
listened to, is important in creating an atmosphere of acceptance. Acceptance is not easy
in all the case. Three factors that facilitates acceptance.

Firstly, one’s rootedness in the philosophical value of social work can become built-in
feature that smoothens the path of the acceptance. Secondly, knowledge of human growth
and development of human behaviour of how people can behave in certain ways. Third

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factor is the self awareness of the social worker. s/he is aware of his/her own mental
process, his/her biases and feelings.

b. Assurance

In certain contexts, the client needs assurance regarding the authenticity of his / her
feelings and that s/he will not be evaluated or judged or ostracised for her / his feelings.
The client has to be helped to understand the difference between feeling and doing.
Sometime certain acts carried out under the force of feelings can be unlawful and wrong
because of the harm it causes others. The social worker were not shocked at hearing such
statements no were they inclined to reprimand the client for expressing such feelings.

But they were accepting and assuring in their response that conveyed the message: “I can
understand your feelings of anger. It is human and natural to have these feeling in such
circumstances”

c. Facilitation of Expression of Feelings

Since expression of feelings by the client is necessary, the facilitation of expression of

feelings is an important supportive technique for the social case worker. The accepting
attitude on the part of the social worker does make it easy for the client to vent his or her
feelings. Strong feelings when bottled up can create blocks in thinking and thus paralyse
one’s problem solving abilities. Feelings like anger, guilt, sorrow, despair, and such other
emotions drain one’s mental energy and leave very little for problem solving.

Hence it is necessary for the client who is carrying a load of emotional material to
unburden himself / herself. The social worker by careful listening, by asking appropriate
questions and by refraining from judgmental statements, facilitates expression of feelings
by the client. The social worker acts as a prompter. Every situation is emotionally
charged, to a small or large degree, as the case may be. The emotional elements should be
attended to before the client can be fully involved in handling his problem.

d. Allying Feelings that are overpowering

Stressful events can provoke feeling in an individual which affect his / her capacity for
thinking and acting appropriately. When the mind is filled with disturbing emotions, the
individual tends to withdraw into himself/ herself and brood over the matter causing
stress.

e. Accrediting and Building of Self-confidence

It has to be remembered that the social worker cannot take over the clients’ problem,
however helpless the client may be. All techniques should be directed towards making the

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client an active participant in the problem solving process & s/he needs to develop
self-confidence. Recognizing the client’s strengths and giving him / her due credit for the
tasks s/he has been able to perform successfully, is helpful in building the self-confidence.
The social worker need to commend the client for the accomplishments resulting into self
confidence.

f. Encouragement and Reassurance

Encouragement and reassurance need to be used to clients advantage in casework.

It is a common experience of social workers that clients are generally reluctant to do

unfamiliar things without strong encouragement, albeit doing such things is necessary to
improve the situation. The social worker encouragement was needed at every steps. While
using encouragement and reassurance, the social worker has to ensure that the situations are
suitable for the exercise of such techniques.

g. Being with the Client

Being with the client in a time of emergency. When a client lacks self-confidence or is
weighed down with excessive anxiety regarding carrying out a necessary action, the social
worker’s presence will serve as a support. Not all situations require the social workers’
presence near the client. Therefore, providing one’s nearness appropriately with discretion,
according to the need of the situation makes it a technique, distinct from a mere gesture of
friendliness.

h. Advocacy

Social workers do not use coercion or threats for changing client’s behaviour. Nevertheless,
the social worker does have the authority emanating from his / her own knowledge and
skills, from the declared functions of the agency and from the society in general in terms of
its sanction. Though it is in the form of unwritten authority, it has certain by-products that
are advantageous. One by-product is the respect that is given to the social worker and the
profession.

i. Providing or Procuring Material Help

Apart from support provided through various techniques, some clients will need material
help, that is, in the form of money or materials. Some agencies have the provision for
material help in a small way but some organisations do not have that provision. In that case,
money or material for the client has to be procured form charitable trusts, organisations,
individual donors and well wishers.

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j. Enhancing Information and Knowledge

Among the resources required for human functioning is the non-material resource of
information and knowledge, the lack of which can create problems or aggravate the
problems that are already present. Sometimes, lack of information may further confounded
by the presence of misinformation or superstition.

2. Helping Techniques in Medical Social Work

a. Interviewing in social case work

• Interview is the communication between two persons with a conscious purpose.

According to P.V.Young “interview may be regarded as a systematic method by which a
person enter more or less imaginatively with the life of comparative strangers. It is to
secure information from the client in a systematic way. It is an art which is used by the
case worker for better understanding between him and the client and make the case
worker process easier. It is the foundation of the case work as without interview the
worker cannot get all the possible information about the client nor can the client gain any
confidence in the worker.

• To obtain knowledge of the situation

• To understand other person

• To be understood by the other person

• For securing some information which cannot be gathered from any other source.

b. Recording in MSW

Recording has always been given considerable importance in social work. It is because
the case worker has to know many clients intimately and it is essential that interviews and
details should be recorded in a way that recalls the particular client with all his/her
individual differences. The records serve various purposes and some of them are as
follows:

Documentation of social work activity, Continuity of Service, Quality control, Statistical

reporting, Organizing the worker’s thought, Interdisciplinary Communication, Teaching
and research etc.

c. Referral Services

In the case work process it is not always possible to solve the client’s problem in the same
agency and by the same worker. Therefore sometimes cases are transferred or referred to another

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agency for rendering expertise help to the client. The helping process does not end in referral but
it is the contact with a particular case worker or agency who will take over the case. Referral is
done for various considerations, when a different type of worker/ therapy is required to achieve
the finally formulated goals of treatment and when the worker and client find it difficult to move
to or assume new responsibility.

The case may be referred to some other agency if at some point it decides that the client cannot
be helped in this agency for some reasons. Referral involves preparation of a referral note which
gives a very brief summary of the problem and the efforts undertaken to solve the problem along
with psycho-social diagnosis.

d. Home Visits

The importance of family has been well recognized by the personnel in social work, specially
those in the mental health field. Study of the emotional, social and physical aspects of family life
is necessary to plan the treatment effectively. It is also very important to gather sufficient details
of information so that our prediction has less chance of being based on prejudices, and this is
achieved easily and effectively through home visits. Home visits aim at therapeutic, sustaining
and preventive measures as well.

At the WHO European Conference on Mental Hygiene Practice (1959) it was recommended that
home visits should be used for diagnostic purposes, as well as for treatment and supervision of
long term patients in their own homes.

Role & Functions of medical social worker

Social work practice in general hospitals & Specialized medical/ mental health
institutions/ units, community health centres, PHC.S, School health services, child
guidance centres, stress intervention centres.

Medical Social Work- Importance

WHO’s definition of health states that “ Health is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well- being and not merely the absence of any disease or infirmity”. Psycho- social
factors of diseases also will have to be taken into consideration while treating a patient.

Looking at the pathetic condition of our healthcare system, especially the doctor- patient
ratio, it is clear that no doctor can pay enough attention to the psycho- social and
environmental factors of the diseases of their patients apart from the medical factors even
though these are also equally important factors in the treatment of a patient. Many a time

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the real cause of the disease may be psychological, social or environmental and if that
factors are not considered, medical treatment may help the patient for a short period only.

This emphasizes the need of a group of people who in fact can work as a mediator or
liaison between doctors and patients. Medical social workers can help the doctors in
understanding the patient as an individual and at the same time helping the patient to
understand more about the disease he or she is suffering from, symptoms, modes of
transmission, preventive measures, treatment facilities available, importance of
medication do and don'ts regarding diseased condition etc.

• Medical social workers bridge the gap between doctors and community

Doctor ------------- Medical social worker Patient

Definition of MSW

Medical Social work is that branch of social work practiced in the field of health. By
Medical social work, we meanformal social work which, starting from medical or health
problems affecting individuals or groups and the responsibilities and resources of social
work departments and voluntary organizations, seeks to tap into, support, enable and
underpin the local networks of formal and informal relationships which constitutes a
basic definition of the term, community [Barclay, 1982].

Functions or Roles of Medical Workers

a. Work with the client

 Establish rapport with the client

Help the client to accept the diagnosis

Take the case history of the client so that finding out the social, economical and
psychological aspects of the disease apart from medical

Educate the client about the disease. Make the patient understand the reasons, symptoms,
modes of transmission, preventive measures, need of medication, pattern of food intake,
kind of physical, social and sexual life he or she can lead.

Create confidence in the mind of clients to fight against the disease.

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Make the client aware about the facts.

Work or deal with the unworthy feelings and hopelessness of the client.

Rehabilitate the client physically, socially, financially, occupationally and

psychologically.

b. Work with the family members of the client

Help the family members to accept the diagnosis.

Educate them about the disease, the causes, symptoms, need of early intervention and
treatment, importance of continuous medication, preventive measures, precaution have to
be taken while treating or dealing with the client

Create confidence in the minds of the family members. Deal with their stress,
frustrations, anxiety and hopes.

Find out several ways to help them financially, socially and emotionally.

Make them aware about the need of their love, affection, care and support in the process
of speedy recovery of the patients.

Help the medical team working for the client or with the client. Patients are always part
of a team consists of doctors, medical social workers, psychologists, psychotherapists,
occupational therapists, nurses, para medical staff etc.

Study about the client and helping these team members to understand about the
psycho-social and financial background of the patients are important role of a medical
social worker.

c. Work with the community

Approach the community instead of waiting them to approach the hospitals.

Give health education to the people

Make them understand that prevention is better than cure

Work for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.

d. Research and Rehabilitation

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Collect necessary data and analyze the same to find out several aspects of different
diseases and related problems. It will enhance speedy recovery and complete
rehabilitation in these cases.

Findings of research conducted with clients can be used by a medical social worker in the
treatment procedure of new patients.

Research can help the medical social workers to replicate the intervention strategies
which have been found successful by other practitioners among their clients with
confidence.

Rehabilitating the clients or bringing back the clients at least to the earlier position, if not
in a better position is a very important role.

Physical, emotional, financial, occupational and social rehabilitation are some of the
areas where medical social workers can do a lot.

Social Workers in the General Hospital, Government, Corporate & Private, Specific
disease hospitals

The Medical social worker acts as the doctor’s mouthpiece and furnishes information to the
client about the following:

His or her illness, how it occurs, how it spreads, and how it can be controlled.

She/ he helps to remove the patient’s doubt and misconceptions about the diseases and its
treatment.

She/he ensures the patient cooperates fully with the doctor and accepts the treatment
wholeheartedly.

For patients needing hospitalization, the Medical social worker helps in the smooth transition
from home to hospital, and after discharge, back from hospital to home.

S/he collects information about the patient’s family, occupation and socio- cultural background
and prepares his medico- socio history. S/he provides the social history to the doctor. S/he helps
the doctor to see the correlation between the medical and the social data.

She/he assists the doctor decide the social recommendation for solving the patient’s medical
problems.

The Medical social worker works with the client and family and provides them emotional
support and helps them with stress management.

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S/he explains to them the changes that have to be made in the home conditions, in
cooking etc., for the benefit of the client.

She conducts group sessions for the in- patients and their attendants.

She participates in all the field activities of the hospital and medical college.

S/he obtains people’s cooperation in multidisciplinary camps, cataract camps,

sterilization camps, blood donation camps, HIV/AIDS Awareness Camps.

She arranges for financial assistance to the patient for treatment, hospitalization,
transportation, etc. from welfare agencies in the community.

If client requires legal help, s/he arranges for it.

If client has come from a long distant place, s/he arranges for low cost lodging for his
family members.

If there is fear of the patient losing his job because of illness and myths associated with
it, S/he meets the employer, dispel the myths and convince the employer not to terminate
the services of the patient.

The Medical social worker participates in the teaching and training activities of the
department of preventive and social medicine.

S/he takes classes for medical, nursing, dental and pharmacy students. S/he actively
takes part in the research activities of the medical colleges or hospitals.

S/he provides recreational services to the inpatient by organizing film shows, video
presentations. etc., and by providing toys and playthings for children.

Role of Social workers in the child guidance clinics

Most of the child guidance clinics are either part of the Department of Psychiatry of
General Hospitals or run by a Social Welfare Agency.

The individual problems in the children who attend the clinics are: antisocial behaviour,
habit disorder, personality disorders, psycho-somatic disorders, epilepsy, mental
retardation, neurosis and others.

The child guidance clinics operate on the premise that if sound foundations of mental
health are laid in childhood and adolescence, the same will continue into adulthood. The
routine daily activities at the clinics consist of:

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Registration of new cases

Review of old cases

Psychometric evaluation

Individual psychotherapy for the child or his parents

Group psychotherapy for the child or his parents

Play therapy

Speech therapy

Group therapy for teachers

Case conferences

Research projects

Teaching programmes for undergraduate medical students, postgraduate psychiatric

students, post graduate pediatric students and nurses, social work students.

Other individual programmes in association with the W.H.O., U.N.I.C.E.F. …etc.

Role in Counseling health centers

Mental health and substance abuse social workers are likely to work in hospitals,
substance abuse treatment centers, or individual and family services agencies.

These social workers may be known as clinical or Psychiatric social workers. They have a vital
role to play in patients’ wellbeing:

The psychiatric social worker makes thorough study of the environment of the client and
prepares a systematic case history.

Helps the family members to accept the diagnosis and co-operate with the treatment.

The social worker aids the psychiatric treatment by social treatment, i.e. treatment of
environment problems.

The social worker works with the clients, his relatives and others, directly connected with
him in modifying their attitudes.

The social worker also tries to bring about a better adjustment between the client and his
family.

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To enlist the cooperation of other social agencies for better discharge of functions of
one’s own agency.

Imparts mental health education to parents in schools and communities

Her work may involve community organization, publicity, assisting in community

surveys, studying mental hygiene needs of communities, development of facilities for
more adequate hygiene needs of communities, development of facilities for more
adequate provision for prevention and treatment of mental disease and so on.

The psychiatric social worker can render help in promoting social research too.

She observes the social component of illness, behaviour disorders, etc. and finds out that
the community resources are inadequate and can throw much light on the deficiencies.

Case records of the agency provide ample data for social action for promoting the cause
of welfare of patients and their families.

To organize recreation clubs and occupational therapy and encourage the patients to
develop hobbies and skills as such activities contribute much to the patient’s recovery.

Role in Community Health Centers and PHCs

The term “community health” refers to the health status of a defined group of people, or
community, and the actions and conditions that protect and improve the health of the
community.

Factors that affect community health

1) Physical factors—geography (parasitic diseases), environment (availability of natural

resources), community size (overcrowding), and industrial development (pollution).
2) 2) Social and cultural factors—beliefs, traditions, and prejudices (smoking in public
places, availability of ethnic foods, racial disparities), economy (employee health care
benefits), politics (government participation), religion (beliefs about medical treatment),
social norms (drinking on a college campus), and socioeconomic status (number of
people below poverty level).
3) 3) Community organization—available health agencies (local health department,
voluntary health agencies), and the ability to organize to solve problem.
4) 4) Individual behaviour—personal behaviour (health enhancing behaviours like
exercising, getting immunized, and recycling wastes).

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The social worker has to have a proper knowledge on the area in which s/he works. S/he
would be well oriented with the traditions, practices of the community and should be able
to identify the gaps in their health seeking behaviour.
The Social Workers in the Health Care Settings has to focus on the followings:
Health Promotion
Health Protection
Health promotion
Health promotion includes educational, social, and environmental supports for individual,
organizational, and community action. It seeks to activate local organizations and groups
or individuals to make changes in behaviour (lifestyle, selfcare, mutual aid, participation
in community or political action) or in rules or policies that influence health.
Health Protection
Community health protection revolves around environmental health and safety.
The social worker can initiate a movement through advocacy group intervention for the
provision of health protection in the community as these protective measures are often
the result of educational programs, including self-defense classes; policy development,
such as the Safe Drinking Water Act or the Clean Air Act; environmental changes, such
as restricting access to dangerous areas; and community planning, as in the case of
preparing for natural disasters or upgrading water purification systems etc.

Role of Medical Social Workers in Blood Bank and Health Camps

Create Awareness about the importance of blood donation

Every year our country requires 5 crore units of blood, from which only 2.5 crore units of blood
is available. Even the worst condition is that there are nearly 8 main blood types. This indicates
that the right type of blood must be available at the right time and this is hardly possible in
developing countries like India. So, to save the lives of people, we must encourage people to
donate the maximum amount of blood to improve the situation.

The blood you donate gives someone another chance at life. One day that someone may be a
close relative, a friend, a loved one or even you.”

The body of the donor can regenerate the blood within a few days. It poses no threat to the
metabolism of the body.

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An ailing body needs blood for various reasons. He may be attacked with anemia, undergone an
operation or may meet with an accident. But such a patient may die for want of blood as it is not
always available. Even a pregnant mother may need blood in case of emergency situation.

Blood can neither be artificially produced nor can it be stored beyond a definite time. Amidst the
three components of blood, plasma can be preserved for years, red blood cells can be stored for
42 days and platelets can be kept only for 5 days. Consequently, the rush for blood is always on
the high in hospitals and the only way to meet this requirement is through donation.

Since three different components are provided by a single donation, three different people may
be helped by it. Considering the millions of people needing blood every year, imagine how each
donation is, therefore, precious.

It is mandatory to test the donated blood for infectious diseases. This is an alarming situation
requiring immediate action of appropriate counselling of donors before and after testing for the
infectious diseases.

It is important to note that blood taken from non-remunerated blood donors is generally
considered as the safest source of blood since it has a low incidence of Transfusion
Transmissible Infections such as HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, Malaria, and Syphilis.

Initiates a Preliminary Health Check Up

A person, before donating blood, is subjected to a complete diagnosis by doctors and hospital
professionals to determine the levels of iron, haemoglobin, cholesterol, etc in his body. This
enables the donor to have a clear idea of the condition of his body. It is only when everything is
fine that he is allowed to donate blood.

Who Can Donate Blood

You can give blood if you are between 17-66 years of age, if your weight is over 50 kg and you
are in sound health. Similarly, you cannot donate blood if you suffer from diseases such as
cardiac arrest, hypertension, epilepsy or diabetes or if you have undergone treatment for malaria
within the last three months.

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Donor care, guidance and counseling for infected blood donors are as important as donor
recognition. Health education, compassionate care and teaching of coping mechanisms, could
help them to live happily in society. Infected donors could actively involve themselves as cause
ambassadors for the blood banks and motivate others to donate blood. Active participation of the
infected donors would encourage them in overcoming the stress and anxiety.

Role in Health Camps

Organise the health check up camps A health checkup camp is a group of people
undergoing medical tests at same time & place. Eg. Cataract camps, physiotherapy
camps, blood donation camps, general health check up camps, awareness camps etc. To
create awareness about Preventive Health checkup. The objective of the Health camp is
to create awareness about Preventive Health check up. To identify the people at risk. To
refer cases for further treatment.

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