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It was early December late afternoon. 40 years old Shanti (name changed) walks into the Digital Dispensary (operated by Glocal) accompanied by a couple of people, evidently her family members. She was completely unwell and one of her hand shivered abnormally. Her husband informed that she was ailing with an unbearable hand pain for few weeks even after consulting the local healthcare provider. One of her neighbour had informed her about Glocal Digital Dispensary and that it is great place where patients are getting treated properly. On the basis of the history, she was provisionally diagnosed to be suffering from cervical spondylitis. An X-ray of the cervical spine was advised and this confirmed the diagnosis of cervical spondylitis. This was pressing on the nerves and hence she was getting pain in the hand. Necessary medicines (Diclofenic sodium with paracetamol were given and explained on its usage. A week later she again appeared but looked almost fit. On enquiry, she informed that there has been gross improvement and was feeling much better. She also said that it was a great experience- “Yes, I am feeling much better than before and today I have come here for the follow-up”).

Shanti

Female/40Y

A 45-year-old woman, Jhuna (name changed), visited the Glocal Digital Dispensary with a skin problem. She resides in a village about 1 km away from the center and has been a regular visitor for all her healthcare needs. She is primarily a daily-wage mine worker and a beneficiary of free rice from the Government of Odisha. With a monthly income of around ₹7,000, she manages to make ends meet. When asked, she said: “Some months back I visited the PHC, where I received some treatment but had to pay for the medicines and tests. During that visit, I had seen and heard about this dispensary. A week later, when I did not recover, I chose to visit this dispensary, where I received treatment (free doctor’s consultation, tests, and medicines), and within a few days, I recovered completely. Since then, all my family members and I come here whenever required.” During her current visit, she shared her experience: “I had an oozing skin problem with some swelling. The nurse used a machine (Dermascope), and it looked like the doctor could see the area on my hand where I had the pain. I did not feel that any doctor was physically missing.” The doctor suspected dry skin with a fungal infection and prescribed an antifungal ointment for local application for 15 days. A follow-up visit was recommended after 15 days.

Jhuna

Female/45Y

It was early December, late in the afternoon, when 45-year-old Sakuntala (name changed) walked into the Digital Dispensary (operated by Glocal), accompanied by a couple of family members. She looked visibly unwell, and one of her hands was shivering abnormally. Her husband informed the doctor that she had been suffering from unbearable pain in her hand for the past few weeks, even after consulting the local healthcare provider. One of her neighbors had told her about the Glocal Digital Dispensary, describing it as a place where patients receive proper treatment. Based on her history and symptoms, she was provisionally diagnosed with cervical spondylitis. An X-ray of the cervical spine was advised, which confirmed the diagnosis. The condition was pressing on the nerves, which explained the pain in her hand. She was prescribed Diclofenac Sodium with Paracetamol, and the instructions for its usage were clearly explained. A week later, she returned to the dispensary and looked almost fully recovered. On enquiry, she reported significant improvement and said she was feeling much better. She also expressed her satisfaction with the experience, saying: “Yes, I am feeling much better than before, and today I have come here for the follow-up.”

Sakuntala

Female/45Y

An 11-year-old child, Raghu (name changed), was brought to the dispensary with severe watery diarrhoea for the last 12 hours. The boy was also vomiting. His sister noticed that he had sunken eyes, a dry tongue, feeble pulse, and low blood pressure. The nursing staff recognized that the child was suffering from severe dehydration. Intravenous saline was started, and once the vomiting stopped, the saline was continued slowly along with Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) given in small sips. Gradually, the child’s eyes improved, and his pulse and blood pressure stabilized. After 6 hours of fluid therapy at the clinic, the child was much better. He was given a single dose of Doxycycline, felt hungry, sat up, and was ready to go home with his happy parents. The parents were provided with several packets of ORS and were advised to dissolve one packet in one litre of clean drinking water and take it sip by sip. They were also advised to give the child Khichdi (a mixture of rice and lentils). The parents, seeing the dramatic improvement in their child’s condition, repeatedly thanked the staff. The child’s mother remarked that the local practitioner in their village possibly wouldn’t have been as effective. As a gesture of gratitude, they even expressed their wish to bring some coconuts. The family was advised to bring the child back after 7 days for a follow-up visit.

Raghu

Male/11Y