Radio Brahmaputra meet and screening of boat clinic film at Dibrugarh

“Where There Are No Roads” a documentary film on boat clinics of Assam was screened at DRDA SHGs training hall, Dibrugarh on 19^th June, 2013 at 5.30 pm in presence of hundred of participants from various sectors – government officials, health professionals, academicians, bankers, cultural activists, local people, villagers from tea garden, chapari’s villages, media, other civil society organizations of Dibrugarh district preceding a discussion on the scope of Brahmaputra community radio station-the initiatives taken by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES) with support from UNICEF near the Maijan Ghat in Dibrugarh district.

In the discussion, the scopes of Community Radio in various development sectors - Health, Education, Financial literacy and cultural activities analyzed. The panelists from these sectors have shared their thoughts and views those can be incorporated in future activities of Brahmaputra Community Radio Station. Dr. Bishnu Ram Das, Associate Professor of Community Medicine, AMC&H opined that massages of preventive health care can be effectively disseminated to the people through the community radio station. Also Mr. Mukul Kachari, district lead bank manager, UBI, Dibrugarh pointed out how community radio station can link up the excluded population of rural community with the main stream financial services.  Renowned cultural activist Mr. Ashim Sarma shared his view with the example of different parts of India how the community radio can be a tool for archiving the disappearing cultural elements of different ethnic groups.

The documentary film “Where there are no roads” is a presentation of the activities performed by the 15 numbers of boat clinic units of Assam run by C-NES with the support of NRHM, Assam. Those are functional in the remote char-chapori areas along the stretch of the mighty River Brahmaputra. The film also reflected the hardship in the life of this population, difficulties encountered by the boat clinic units during the process. The 48 minutes duration of the documentary film emphasizes the different health facilities offered by this service - routine immunization of the children, routine health check-up of the pregnant and lactating mothers, treatment of patients with common ailments and immediate referral of the critical cases for advance treatment. The film was a production of Mimesha Productions, produced and scripted by renowned journalist and writer Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika who is the Managing Trustee of Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES) and directed by Mr. Maulee Senapati. The screening ended with a spontaneous applaud of the audiences and their inspiring comments- “In Assam where there are no roads and water is the only means of communication, there the boat clinic renders services particularly to three categories of people- aged, pregnant women and children, those have limited accessibility, the boat clinic providing their services at their doorsteps. I salute the workers associated with this system and we will always remember their services and congratulate them.”- Dr. Dilip Patgiri, former Vice-Principal of Dibrugarh Medical College & Hospital.