Field work Experience

Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. Hello everyone! My name is Neha J S, and currently I am pursuing my postgraduate degree in MA Mass Communication at the Central University of Tamil Nadu. In our Department we have Radha Ma'am, who is the HoD and also teaches the course on Reporting and Editing. Recently Ma'am assigned our first fieldwork assignment, which took place at the Thiruvarur Government Hospital (GH). I was absolutely thrilled about this opportunity as I have a genuine interest in interacting with people and immersing myself in different environments.

This fieldwork experience marked a significant milestone in my academic journey. An important part of our team was Anand anna, who guided us during our interactions with the Tamil-speaking people. Utilizing two bikes for transportation, we arrived at the hospital which also have a medical college in there. As we navigated through the corridors of the hospital, it was evident that the staff and patients were intrigued by our presence, possibly due to the protective masks we were wearing, because others are not wearing any protection mask.

During our observation , I noticed the lack of seating arrangements for patients attendant's within the hospital premises. There were only a few seats near the reception area, leading to most people sitting on the floor while engaging in various activities. I approached a lady, affectionately called paatti, who was seated on the floor and initiated a conversation regarding the absence of proper seating facilities. I ask that paatti "why there is no seating facility is available and why people are not mentioned this problems to the hospital officials? " She candidly shared that the issue was widely ignored and accepted by everyone without complaints.

Engaging with the hospital surroundings further, we interacted with cleaning staff (3 akkas and one anna) sharing some light moments and capturing memories with a joyful selfie. Despite being an observer, my conversational Tamil skills led some of them to mistake me as a tamil girl, Because my tamil was not bad!

As we proceeded, we explored the emergency ward, revealing the concerning lack of space for incoming patients and limited resources for essential medical supplies. There is only a small space to go to the pharmacy room to buy medicine. Also there is no proper parking area.

After leaving the hospital premises, we regrouped to discuss the prevalent issues we encountered, such as the inadequate parking facilities. Reflecting on our findings, we embarked on our return journey to the Thiruvarur bus stand, with a deeper insight into the healthcare challenges faced by the community. 

Engaging in field work activities with my team members was truly a valuable and enriching experience that I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from it.