Nanjappa Chattram, a remote and quiet village in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu comes alive once in a month as the vehicles of Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington, roar in through the dilapidated roads with medicine and food. It is not for the soldiers who are on a mission but for the villagers themselves. Doctors and para-medical staff from Military Hospital, Wellington, accompanied by a group of soldiers attend to the medical needs of the villagers. If the patients need specialized treatment or diagnosis, they are referred to the Government Hospital with notes issued by the Army doctors.
Sunday turned out to be an important day for the village women folk as gynecologists and obstetricians from MH Wellington made it a ‘Mother and Child Day’, a new experience to the villagers. They were briefed in their own local language about the importance of pregnancy and childcare by the doctors. All the pregnant women were diagnosed by the specialists and prescribed medicines. The doctors and nurses of State Government's Health Department are yet to reach the villages.
While the lady doctors were explaining the significance of pregnancy, the children in the village were entertained by the soldiers with toys, learn through fun and story telling sessions. “They gave as paints, paper and brush to tone up our painting and writing skills, The Army uncles had brought lot of chocolates with them and this was cherished by all of us,” said Jamuna, a village girl.
The medical camp is Indian Army’s way of thanking the villagers for the help rendered by them during the rescue operations of the December 8, 2021 helicopter crash in which General Bipin Rawat and 13 others perished. It was the villagers of Nanjappa Chattram villagers who reached the spot first and tried to rescue the passengers.
As a mark of gratitude, the Dakhsin Bharat Area of Indian Army adopted the village and is conducting once-in-a- month free medical aid to the villagers. MRC Wellington, one of the oldest Army establishments, is no stranger to villagers in the district as they had provided free food and ration to them during the Covid-19 pandemic proving again that the Army was not only for guarding the borders but helping the civilians in hours of emergency.
Brigadier S K Yadav, the young commandant of the MRC, spent a whole day with the villagers, speaking about various aspects of health and hygiene.