Healthcare
HEALTH IS A HUMAN RIGHT
FREE OUTPATIENT CLINICS
The Focus
This is basically a limited health intervention to provide free and high-quality medical services to the villagers at their doorsteps on a regular basis.
The Process
Under the programme, our medical teams screen the villagers and provide free consultation and medicines on a regular basis to address common diseases, seasonal ailments, and other age and lifestyle related illnesses. Micronutrients are provided to children, women, and the elderly. Diabetic and hypertensive patients are provided regular assessment, monitoring, medication, and dietary and lifestyle counselling. Surgeries are facilitated for tonsillitis, cataract, hernia, and coronary bypass absolutely free of cost. The program is conducted in liaison with the local communities.
The Magnitude
The program is operational at 56 centres in six states namely, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and West Bengal covering over 400 villages catering to wage earners, farm labourers, and other BPL persons.
The Impact
The program ensures:
- Improved access to primary healthcare
- Prevention of communicable diseases and epidemics
- Access to specialist referral care
- Improved awareness about health, hygiene, and diet among villagers
- Medical support in times of emergencies and disasters
SSHT - RASHTRIYA BAL SWASTHYA KARYAKRAM (RBSK)
The Focus
The focus of the programme is identification of the 4 Ds: Disease, Developmental Delays, Deformities and Defects at birth aimed at children upto the age of 18 years under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), an initiative of the National Health Mission (NHM), Government of India. The program is implemented by the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, State Government of Tamil Nadu.
Though healthcare screening is done for students, their parents are mostly UNAWARE of such screenings; and they hesitate to undergo further medical investigation, follow up, and avail of medical help out of sheer ignorance and fear.
The Process
Under the programme, government medical teams screen the children / students in each district to identify any of the above-mentioned 4 Ds and findings are reported to the District Early Intervention centre (DEIC), for further investigation and treatment.
SSHT works in liaison with the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, State Government of Tamil Nadu; and the NHM, Government of India to improve the referral resolution rate. SSHT volunteers play a counselling as well as a coordination role to ensure that children in need of investigation and treatment are attended to on time.
The Magnitude
Approximately, 95 lakh children / students are enrolled in rural childcare centres (Anganwadis) and government schools across 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. In 2019-20, SSHT initiated the program in 5 of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu and it is proposed to cover all the districts by 2025.
The Impact
The program ensures:
- Timely medical attention to children
- Improved childhood survival
- Improved academic performance
- Active participation of parents / families of children in follow-up and treatment
- Reduced burden on parents / families
- Increased referral follow-up of 4 D cases
- Successful and cost-effective implementation of the RBSK programme
- Integration with national health services
HEALTHCARE SUPPORT FOR TRIBAL VILLAGES
The Focus
Under this program, daily healthcare is provided to 100 tribal villages / hamlets in Maharashtra. The focus of this programme is on preventive healthcare and nutrition.
- Free weekly outpatient clinic
- Free medication for regular / seasonal illnesses
- Monitoring / medication for hypertension and diabetes mellitus
- Micronutrient supplementation
The Process
The services are provided by educated youth residing in the tribal villages who are trained to assess basic health issues and provide over-the-counter medicines. This ensure 4s round-the-clock availability of local level healthcare contacts and support in the villages. The villages are adopted directly by SSHT and the service activities are conceived, implemented, and monitored by SSHT volunteers in coordination with and cooperation of the villagers.
The Magnitude
Currently 100 tribal villages in Akole Taluk -Ahmednagar district are covered under this program. It is envisaged to increase the number of beneficiary villages to 300 shortly.
The Impact
The program ensures:
- Preventive healthcare
- Prevention of communicable diseases and epidemics
- Access to specialist referral care
- Improved awareness about health, hygiene, and diet among villagers
- Medical support in times of emergencies and disasters
HEALTHCARE SUPPORT FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN
The Focus
The focus is on providing a wholistic treatment for children below 15 years with mental disabilities.
The Process
The treatment involves a 21-month treatment which involves ayurveda, physiotherapy, speech therapy, acupuncture, parental counselling by a qualified and experienced ayurvedic practitioner with a proven track record in improving the quality of life of children. The treatment is personalised for each child based on physical, emotional, and such conditions. This is an initiative implemented directly by SSHT.
The Magnitude
Over 120 children have been under treatment in Tamil Nadu .
The Impact
The program ensures:
- Provision of alternative therapies
- Empathetic care
- Personalised attention to each child
- Professional attention
HEALTHCARE SUPPORT FOR GOVT SCHOOL STUDENTS
The Focus
The focus of the programme is on screening, referral, and follow-up of students in government schools.
The Process
Under the programme, all the students in the selected government schools are screened; students in need of medical intervention are identified through comprehensive screening and refereed to specialists and hospitals and follow-up is made till the students are restored to health. This is an initiative implemented directly by SSHT.
The Magnitude
Approximately, 15,000 rural students in over 200 government hospitals are covered in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh since 2016. This is in addition to the RBSK programme.
The Impact
In these camps, we have come across cases like Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PAD), Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) which involved medical intervention, regular supply of medicines, and periodic follow-up. The program ensures:
- Timely medical attention to students
- Reduction in school drop outs and absenteeism
- Improved academic performance
MOBILE HEALTHCARE SUPPORT
The Focus
The focus of the programme is Healthcare on Wheels to provide weekly visits to places which do not have access to PHCs and healthcare points.
The Process
The Mobile Clinic will be equipped with a laboratory and medical equipments for basic diagnosis. The Mobile Clinic will provide free diagnosis, treatment, and medication for basic health problems and lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This is an initiative implemented directly by SSHT.
The Magnitude
This programme reaches out to 23 villages, benefitting over 22,000 rural needy in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The Impact
The program ensures:
- Medical attention at the door steps
- Reduction in school drop outs and absenteeism
- Improved academic performance
HEALTHCARE FOR RURAL WOMEN AND CHILDREN
The Focus
The focus of the programme is on the health and well-being or rural women and children with specific focus on their physiological health, social well-being.
The Process
The program involves education, awareness programmes, and counselling on the following issues:
- Adolescence and teenage issues
- Myths around menstruation and pregnancy
- Reproductive health and hygiene
- Pregnancy Care – prenatal and postpartum for expectant mothers
- Neonatal and infant healthcare – awareness on vaccination and mandatory health care requirements
- Counselling on family planning
- Support and counselling in premenopause, perimenopause, and menopause cases
- Geriatric care
- This is an initiative implemented directly by SSHT.
The Magnitude
This programme is integrated with some of the other healthcare programmes.
The Impact
The program ensures:
- Improved physiological health
- Improved social well-being
- Reduction in infant mortality
- Prevention of age-related problems and disability
SPECIALTY MEDICAL CAMPS
The Focus
These are specialty camps in oral, ophthalmology, and cardiology where patients are provided medical advice and medication.
The Process
The camps are organised by SSHT in association with healthcare specialists and other institutions. All participants undergo screening after which they are provided medical advice and medication. Surgical interventions are referred to our panel of hospitals wherever necessary with free post-surgical support. These camps are organised by SSHT in association with our panel of doctors and healthcare specialists.
The Magnitude
- 407 beneficiaries at the specialty ophthalmic camp in Tamil Nadu
- 230 beneficiaries were provided spectacles
- 247 beneficiaries at the specialty dental camps
- 16 beneficiaries were provided spectacles at the ophthalmic camp at the Home for the Destitute, Tambaram, Tamil Nadu
- Mega healthcare and cardiac screening camp in association with Rotary Central, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, and Ramakrishna Mission in Gummidipundi, Tamil Nadu
The Impact
The program ensures:
- Reduced burden on low income groups
- Regular follow-up of all cases till closure
- Professional co-ordination of medical camps