The term ‘bespoke’ refers to creating or making for a particular customer or user. When we combine this term with the word ‘care’, we essentially come to the question, how may we be able to cater to sick individuals, whether they may be experiencing a physical illness, mental illness, or even both in extreme cases? For us to be able to answer this particular question, we need to be able to identify how our welfare and/or healthcare systems are operating. Along with that, we need to be able to swiftly identify where the defects in our systems lie so that we may be able to get rid of them as quickly and efficiently as possible, so that it may become easier to cater to almost each and every sick individual (again, whether they may be physically, or mentally sick, or both in certain extreme cases). The word ‘care’ itself can have certain different meanings in the context it is being used in. However, this particular term still attains to the concept of empathy in any given circumstance. What this topic suggests is that we work with others in an empathetic manner to create a better healthcare and/or welfare system and/or environment so that those who do require special assistance are able to receive it in the best possible manner. This can be done through means such as ensuring that the government gives ample focus towards the funding for the healthcare systems available to the people. Another means could be educating the community as well. What I mean in this scenario is that most people initially try to treat illness within their homes and seek help from the healthcare services available to them when the illness starts becoming more severe in nature.However, these people may not seek help from those who are qualified to treat illness, seeking help from local pharmacists, medicine sellers’ etc. instead. This is when understanding the current health practices and community needs becomes imperative. It’s also important to understand what type of service the community needs and requires and what type of health services are available to them at the moment. This understanding can be achieved through community discussions and using participatory learning methods to interact with and understand the needs and requirements of the community. The main aim of this is to be able to generate a greater understanding of community needs and to ensure that the health and welfare services provided are accessible, equitable and affordable for the people, so that their health needs may be catered to properly without any major concerns or issues.
– Areej Jehan Nasir, Volunteer from Eye on Ivy