Houston: North American Telugu Association (NATA) organized a mega health fair on April 12 in Navasota, Texas. This event was conducted with the help of various HSBV and BCS doctors to celebrate World Health Day.
“The fair benefited hundreds of people in the Brazos Valley,” said organizers Prof. Samba Reddy, a professor of medicine and community service leader, and Dr. Venkata Raju, a respected pediatrician and neonatalogist. This fair demonstrated a new trend in preventive health services that can be delivered for less than two dollars per person.
The ultimate impact of such services, delivered by a thematic array of inexpensive health education, examinations, and exhibitions, exceeds thousands in saved expenses and increased public health awareness.
The Mega Health Fair, which featured free admission for all, was held in the local Omkaranth Temple and featured specialist doctor meetings, health education for all ages, glucose tests, BP screenings, BMI education, dental check-ups, nutrition instruction, and immunization updates.
“More than 25 specialty doctors, 30 medical students, 20 local volunteers, 10 HSBV volunteers and 15 NATA volunteers provided services in this health fair. They contributed greatly to the success of this event. This is a true testament to their genuine passion and commitment for community service,” said organizers Prof. Reddy and Dr. Raju.
Fair activities were focused on health screenings, consultations, and current health awareness through numerous exhibits and health talks featuring experts in medicine, yoga, art of living, life insurance, nutrition, and more. Specialists in pediatrics, rheumatology, oncology, orthopedics, psychiatry, and endocrinology also provided expert consultations to participants, while internists and dentists performed individual tests, including glucose screens and BP checkups. Medical students distributed free bike helmets to all children, who also received free vision screening and dental checkups.
Health talks were the central focus of the fair. Endocrinologist Dr. Shanmugam spoke on preventing and coping with diabetes. Orthopedician Dr. Mukund Gundanna explained how to care for the neck and back, providing several tips for common back pain. Ms. Angelica described the benefits of the Indian-originated “laughter yoga.”
Suprathik Kundu and Sriram Sarvotham spoke on the importance of the “art of living.” Ramana Reddy (NY Life) advised will and life insurance to protect one’s health and assets.
Janani Jayakumar shared her experience distributing free mosquito nets in India to prevent vector-borne diseases such as encephalitis and malaria.
Fair advisor Dr. Nalini Dave gave an enlightened presentation on nutrition. A healthy vegetarian lunch from Taz was served to all participants.
“You don’t need much money to do community services; we did this entire fair with less than $1000. All you need is passion, committed volunteers, and dedicated organizers,” said Prof. Samba Reddy.
“This great success has been possible because of the volunteer efforts of the mega team and the inspiration of philanthropic NATA leaders Dr. Malla Reddy and Dr. Prem Reddy,” said the event organizers.
NATA thanks all BCS doctors who participated in the fair: Drs. Nalini Dave (Internist), Mahesh Dave (Psychiatrist), Venkata Raju (Neonatologist), Thada Venkata Reddy (Internist), Selva Pollachi (Internist), Rohini Ragupathi (Internist), Kuppuswamy Ragupathi (Gastroenterologist), Anu Aparasu (Internist), Latha Ravichandran (Internist), Veena Anand (Pediatrician), Anup Amin (Pulmonologist), Ganesh Shanmugam (Allergist), Nitesh Banker (Radiologist), Rajpreet Singh (Rheumatologist), Usha Venkatraj (Oncologist), Karim Haji (Surgeon), Asha Haji (Family physician), Bobby Bains (Radiation Oncologist), Dr. Neha Karanjikar (Dentist), Ketan Sukkawala (Dentist), Jothi Sukkawala (Anesthesiologist), Mukund Gundanna (Orthopedician), and Savitha Reddy (pharmacist).
NATA president Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy thanks the organizers, doctors, and volunteers for providing time and expertise into making this health fair a great success.
The NATA Houston team comprising Manchi Reddy, Durga Prasad (RVP), Dr. Rajender Aparasu, Sanjeeva Reddy, Anil Shilpi, Siddeshwar Gubba, Ramakrishna, and many others helped in this event. NATA also thanks Dr. NK Anand and the HSBV team for their help, and appreciates Dr. NDR Sharma’s photography.
