The need for better health care administration for people living in relief camps was found to be a major necessity. The Bihar 2008 flood is one such example where people faced poor health care administration. There were no medical records of the people living in rural locations. This created problems for the medical staffs attending to them, prolonging the overall consultation time and reducing the efficiency of the medical response. Doctors in rural area hospitals did not maintain records of the patients and wrote prescriptions on torn pieces of paper leading to the rise of illegal medical practices.
The “MedicPouch” is a personal medical administration kit designed to improve the efficiency of the medical attention provided to people living in camps like flood relief camps. The kit contains a personal medical record booklet, health educational materials and storage space for medicines and its owner’s personal items. It is designed to ensure proper and accurate recordings of a patient’s consultation, diagnosis, treatment and medications given, which can be quickly referenced by the doctor during the patient’s visits. This will increase efficiency in medical response and ensure lesser waiting time for patient consultation. This increase in efficiency can ensure more lives can be saved. This improvement in the healthcare system will promote a more positive and ethical approach and discourage the doctors from committing illegal practices.
The MedicPouch has a four-fold seal water-proof cover providing a secure enclosure for its contents. There is sufficient space at the lips and the front folded flap designed for easy opening and closing of the pouch. The pouch design is made from a simple rectangular cut and layered with its flap, allowing it to be compact, flat and slim. The shoulder strap can also be adjusted to the desired length of the user using the Velcro strap on it. The extra loop at the sides of the pouch allows more than one bag to be attached onto a single shoulder strap.
The pouch is made from recyclable materials like tarpaulins from old billboards, clear polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Velcro straps and nylon straps. The various parts of the pouch are put together by machine sewing. The personal medical record booklet included in the pouch will be printed and book bind. Recycled tarpaulins are chosen for its strength, durability, flexibility and waterproof features that will help the product last longer. Its opaqueness can protect the medication stored in the pouch by blocking the sunlight.
The window of the pouch is made from clear PVC to allow the user to easily identify their pouch by the cover of their personal medical record booklet inserted in the window of the pouch. The cover of the booklet comes in four different colors to further customize each pouch to its user. Velcro strap was chosen instead because of its light weight, flatness and durability.
The product’s design and materials chosen for the manufacture of the product ensure a life span of 5 – 10 years or longer. The manufacturing process also avoids unnecessary transportation of materials and the entire pouch can be assembled at a single location.
The MedicPouch is an answer to the need of improving the quality of healthcare services provided to the victims. This will ensure a more systematic and an efficient process in providing treatment to the patients. With the increase in efficiency more lives can be saved and the confidence of medical staff’s can be boosted. Victims can be relieved from the anxiety of whether they will get the required medical attention or not. ‘MedicPouch’ will also allow individuals to be aware and in control of their own personal medical health and value the importance of keeping a personal medical record.
Via: Biharflood/Joseph Louistan