Chaitra Sankranti Mela is a folk fair held on the last day of the calendar month of Chaitra of Bengal. It is considered one of the major festivals where Fruits, sweets, toys, handlooms, and handicrafts made of bamboo, cane, plastic, clay etc are bought and sold. In C R Park, popularly known as Mini Kolkata in NCR Delhi, too the Chaitra Mela was organized by the Help and Heal Foundation Trust in association with Purbosree Mahila Samiti. The event was held on the 30th and 31st of March 2024.
Apart from hosting mela and cultural programs the main objective of “Chaitra Mela ” was to organize a multi-specialty medical camp aimed to provide free consultation and health checks for the distressed and senior residents. Well-known doctors from reputed hospitals in Delhi attended the health camp and offered their free consultations and advice to the patients.
The two-day medical camp hosts a CPR demo done by Hospimax, an Interactive session on brain stroke by Dr Biplab Das, a Health ATM by Yolo Health, and a blood donation camp conducted by arranging a Blood donation van. Specialists from the fields of cancer, Gynaecology, and psychology took part in an active panel discussion on women’s issues – it’s prevention and treatment. Psychologists also spoke on loneliness and How to manage it.
The panelists were Dr Aditi Chaturvedi Cancer Specialist Max Hosp Saket, Dr Rinku Sengupta Dhar, Rainbow Hospital and Dr Shilpi Sharma Regional Director Mindful TMS Neuro care.
This medical camp has evoked huge support and response from the residents and elaborate arrangements for health check-ups for senior and distressed residents from which they immensely benefited.
In the Chaitra Mela, cultural programs encourage Specially Abled Children, senior residents, and local upcoming talents, providing them with a platform to demonstrate their talents apart from the performance of well-known artists from Bengal. There are stalls available that sell handicrafts and handloom items, as well as food stalls that offer a variety of cuisines.
Expressing his thoughts on this multi-specialty initiative, Air Commodore Swapan Samaddar VSM (Retd) President of Help and Heal Foundation Trust said “We are deeply obliged for the support and help from Max and PSRI Hospitals. With the cooperation of Max Hospital, a fully equipped medical van was provided for mammography tests last year and tests were done for 32 females. This year too we arranged the same and were able to conduct 42 Mammography screenings”.
“We arranged specialized doctors to conduct Routine Body Check-ups, as well as for Dental, Internal Medicine, Orthopaedics, Pulmonology, Gynaecology, and Physiotherapy. Many area residents and NCR residents took advantage of the Free Multi Speciality Medical Camp”.
“During the year we provide basic educational facilities, help and assist underprivileged children, help and stand beside senior and distressed persons in their difficult times, help and arrange medical facilities for seniors, the distressed, and the people of EWS, and also organize Socio-Cultural activities viz Book Fair, Mela, Sporting Activities, Literary Programmes, etc to promote and encourage local talents” he added.
