PaJR Case Reports: Community Medicine ProJR

August 10, 2025

Community Medicine ProJR and Participatory Medical Cognition:

Web 0.0-1.0 voluntary organisation driven healthcare learning insights from a Professor of community medicine.

SUMMARY:

Since 1970, the study of voluntary organizations has become an increasingly active arena for scholarly research.

In this chapter we focus on a potential product of "competency based education" where the doctor not only builds his own competence but helps to build the competence of his community medicine patients.

Web 1.0 post from Web 0.0 anecdotes shared by the Professor of community medicine while traveling together in the bus:

Showed this article: around "Organizedhelponomics" to the Professor of community medicine sitting next to me in the bus and he related and added his own fascinating story.

He topped the Andhra medical entrance in 1976 and completed his internship in 1983 March with 10 days extension due to his marriage and then inspite of getting MD general medicine, chose MD community medicine (as per wishes of the Sangha and against the wishes of his father).

During MBBS he was deeply involved and guided by the principles of volunteerism that drove "Organizedhelponomics" even at that time when it didn't have any name. He would volunteer to help and learn around different patients that nowadays would now be labeled as "patient centered requirements driven learning" and from then his journey has been to learn everyday around rural patient requirements.

Organizedhelponomics had made it clear to him that Christian missionaries could reach out to even the most ferocious man eating Tribals not because of the Bible but because of their proficiency in healthcare and hence after his MD he refused a faculty position and instead went to naxal driven district of Adilabad and regularly cycled to 50 villages under his PHC and this is when he saw firsthand Organizedhelpnomics in action where he would get his village patient's market produce to sell at higher rates by organization driven requests to keep a place in the bus reserved for their produce that could be marketed at a higher price in Hyderabad! And as predicted by the organisation, his proficiency in health care ensured that he never had any issues with the villagers and even the naxals.

After seeing the above post the following content was texted by the same Professor of community medicine as a speech focused on his learning community organization, prepared for a local gathering:

Respected elders, friends, and fellow members,

It is with immense gratitude that I reflect on the lessons I have learned from our organisation, lessons that have deeply influenced my life, both within my family and in society. The central value that stands out to me is the importance of character a guiding principle that has shaped my every action and decision.

One of the most profound teachings I have embraced is that "Work is Worship." This idea has been the cornerstone of my professional life, and I would like to share a few experiences that truly embody this value.

In 1989, while serving as a Health Officer in Bellampally, I found myself on a rainy day, umbrella in hand, closely monitoring sanitary activities. Despite the difficult conditions, I felt it was my responsibility to ensure the work was done properly. This incident had occurred nearly one to one and a half years earlier, and I had almost forgotten about it. However, the General Manager remembered it during my farewell when I was being transferred to Kothagudem. What made his appreciation significant was that, on the verge of retirement and in his long career, he had never seen a Health Officer of my position personally supervising such work, despite having two-tier supervisors below me. This acknowledgment reinforced my belief that I had learned from my "voluntary learning organisation" on how to worship our duty and treat every task, no matter how small, with the utmost seriousness. (ధ్యేయ నిష్ట)

Another occasion that highlighted the power of integrity was when I was serving as a District Immunization Officer (DIO). One of my immediate subordinates, due to a misunderstanding and the strict working conditions I had introduced, lodged corruption charges against me. Though the charges were unproven, it was a challenging time. During my farewell party when I was later transferred to Hyderabad, this same subordinate came to me in tears, confessing that his actions were a mistake. He expressed regret and acknowledged that despite his initial resistance to my work ethic, he had grown to respect it and had become more sincere and hardworking. This incident, shared by him during my farewell, taught me a valuable lesson from my childhood learning organisation—how best we can earn respect through our character, even in difficult circumstances. (సుశీలం జగద్యేన నమ్రం భవేత్)

In my academic career, another lesson has been of equal importance. There has not been a single year without an original paper publication, and I have consistently attended conferences and training sessions, both as a trainee and a trainer. This success reflects a key value I learned from my "national self-helpers)—how to groom and nurture students to achieve their highest potential.

I was also entrusted with organizing Mega Health Camps in all the slum areas of Hyderabad Metropolitan City as part of the Janmabhoomi program of the Combined Andhra Pradesh state. Around 50 teams were formed and allocated to different slum areas. I was responsible for all operational aspects, including staffing, diagnostics, medicines, transport, camp site arrangements, patient crowd management, and food distribution. This ability to plan meticulously and execute with precision was something I learned from the activities in my voluntarily learning organisation, where attention to detail and service are always paramount.

Finally, I would like to share an experience from my time as a committed doctor at a tribal PHC in Adilabad district. During the Sankranti festival holiday, my wife suggested that I stay home and enjoy the festival with our family. However, I decided to go to the PHC because no other doctor was available, and I knew my patients needed me. The PHC was 22 kilometers away, and by the time I arrived, I was 30 minutes late. There, I found a 13-year-old boy suffering from severe asthma. My staff reassured his family that the doctor would come, and luckily, I arrived just in time. At that time, we didn’t have nebulizers or inhalers; I had to treat the boy with an Aminophyllin drip. Thankfully, the boy recovered. From that day, my wife never stopped me from going to the PHC, even on holidays. This experience reinforced the value of commitment, and how serving others is the true essence of my role as a doctor—a lesson deeply ingrained in me through "national self-helpers."

In 2012 he was called by one of his organisation members that a helpless orphan woman lying naked on the road was having a huge ulcer with maggots Comin out of it and the local nursing home was charging a lot of money to amputate the leg! He immediately asked them not to go for amputation and wait for him to reach her and take a look at the wound.

Here's some images of the wound and a video of him cleaning the wound by removing the maggots as well as other dead tissue:

Furthermore, during the Covid pandemic, my commitment was tested yet again. I had the privilege of serving as the Incharge of a Covid healthcare hospital run by SEVA BHARATI at RVK, Annagiguda. In one emergency situation, without even wearing a mask, I entered the Covid inpatient ward to respond to an urgent call. This act further solidified the lesson I had learned from national self-helpers—how selfless service and dedication are the ultimate expressions of our professional commitment.

These experiences underscore how character, dedication, and commitment to one’s duty not only lead to personal satisfaction but also positively impact the people we work with, shaping their growth and success.

At home, the same values have been my guiding light, helping me build a peaceful and satisfied family life. In society, too, these principles have encouraged me to contribute meaningfully, fostering sincerity and unity in my surroundings.

The lessons from our organisation are not just ideals; they are tools for leading a life of purpose, fulfilment, and integrity.

References:

1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/voluntary-organization#:~:text=A%20voluntary%20organization%20is%20defined,of%20the%20'third%20sector'.1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_association#:~:text=A%20voluntary%20group%20or%20union,organization)%20to%20accomplish%20a%20purpose.

1) https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/opinion/how-rss-is-developing-an-indigenous-model-of-rural-development-12596931.html