Abstract
Background: Empowerment of the girls and working women staying in the hostel is indispensable to help them cope with the changed environs and promote understanding of health particularly nourishment and reproductive health, so as to smash the intergenerational life cycle of dietary deficiency and gender annoyance ensuring the provision of an enabling and opinionated atmosphere for self-progression. Accordingly, we conducted this study to know the needs and situation of medical facilities in the working women hostels in Bhopal urban area, thus taking steps to improve the prevailing conditions.

Objective: The main objectives were to assess health needs and prevalence of ill health of residents of working women hostels. To know the quality of action at the time of illness and to get suggestions to improve the health of these hostel residents.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional designed study conducted in seven hostels in vicinity of Urban Health and Training Centre of Peoples College of Medical Science and RC, Indrapuri, Bhopal. The residents of hostel were both college going girls and working women. Sample size determined for the study was 150 and duration of the study was 2 months. A structured proforma was used, which was given to the warden of 7’ working women hostel. The wardens were well informed about the outline of proforma and requested to collect a maximum number of duly completed proforma. The participants were then individually assessed, and suggestions were given. On the basis of this study finding assorted interventions were planned to create awareness and suggest protection methods about a few preventable illnesses and to set up health facilities for residents of girl’s hostel.

Results: Out of 150 respondents, 38 (19.6%) girls/women suffered from abdominal pain, followed by headache (16.5%). Some 99 girls/women (66%) took one or other kind of treatment for their illness, of which 95% girls/women preferred treatment from private practitioners. Of the respondents, 125 (83%) respondents disclosed that they do not have any medical facilities in their hostel.

Conclusion: The current study determines the health needs and availability of quality of medical facilities at the working women hostel. Abdominal pain was more prevalent, and hostels were devoid of any kind of medical facilities. Health awareness education is need of time as the majority of girls/women take self-medication which is deteriorating their already poor health status.

Key words: Heath Needs; Health Services; Self-medication; Working Women; Hostel