Decades of conflict has collapsed government health services and it is yet to recover and be effective.
Initially, we tried to bridge the treatment gaps and had different projects for giving medical services in the community. A Glimpse of our Earlier health interventions
- Village Pharmacists & Health Workers:
Village women selected by the village were trained to handle 30 generic medicines with which they could cure a hundred different illness. This programme was a huge relief to far-flung villages with no access to affordable medicines for minor disorders. At its peak, collectively these women saw over 8000 patients at an average cost of Rs.5 a patient!
Number of women health workers – 47
Number of patients treated per month – 200
Average Cost/ patient – Rs. 5
2. Community Blood Testing Labs:
This initiative is a testimony of our health expertise that also generated skilled employment to youth. The youth selected by the community were trained as ‘Lab Technicians’ and ran low cost blood testing lab, as a part of a malaria testing-cum-treatment programme. The ‘lab technicians’ collected over 5000 slides in a year and the National Institute of Malaria Research Centre (NIMR) in New Delhi was so impressed that they sent a team to study our over 96% correct identification of malaria parasites by our technicians.
3. Health Diary:
This was the ant’s small yet mighty effective tool to put health back in people’s hands – where it rightly belongs. With illustrated information on most common illness including how to treat it, our health diary even today (long after its use as a diary!) is a prized possession for many individuals who use it to treat themselves, their families and also to advice and treat small illnesses in the community.