Video Description.

A group of classmates and I, the GIRLSNEXTDOOR, chose to organize a documentary about the barriers Indian women face in their pursuit of healthcare. We interviewed Dr. Purnima Madhivanan and PhD - candidate Kiranmayee Muralidhar (who has also completed an MBBS/MD and MPH), both whom work for PHRII, the The Public Health Research Institute Of India, and work on bridging the gap in women's access to medical care in women. They both address cultural, finances, and transportation (among others) as issues deterring women from seeking care and preventative services. And we ask them to elaborate on potential solutions to these issues and that is where PHRII comes in. Dr. Purnima founded this organization to lessen these issues, she elaborates on the Mobile Health Unit of PHRII, where they bring the clinic to the women in rural villages to limit difficulties with transportation. They understand that oftentimes the issue lies beyond the women themselves and can be due to the cultural attitudes women face, and so they often host multiple education and awareness campaigns to the entire community to bring clarity over various health issues and proper steps in seeking care. 

GIRLSNEXTDOOR hopes that this video helps bring awareness to culturally sensitive barriers to care for women. Beyond just gender, there are other factors such as economic disparity, location, transportation, etc. which are deciding factors in what type of medical care an individual receives. We also wanted to demonstrate the importance of community and giving back to one's local community. Dr. Purnima Madhivanan was a US-trained physician and professor, but she chose to move back to her hometown of Mysore upon realizing the life-altering nature that an improper access to healthcare has on the life of a women and the relying family structure. It has given each of the group members a renewed interest in giving back, and so we chose to highlight this issue upon returning from our travels abroad. Be the change you want to see in the world!