Amarpurkashi Project in India: Health
From 2002 until 2008, the health centre operated as a mother and child clinic
free eye camps are held at least once a year
the project takes care of the cataract patients till they are fit to go home
health camp run in collaboration with UNICEF
the young women who ran the SIFPSA project
polio immunisation campaign facilitated by the project
Health Centre
The health centre opened in July 1999 with a grant from the NLCB (National Lottery Charities Board) of England. For many years, it catered specifically for women of child-bearing age and pre-school children. Over the three years of the grant, a total of 4,939 women of reproductive age were treated as well as 860 expectant mothers, 1,154 pre-school children and 3,261 primary school children. During that time, 90% capacity was achieved. Eight primary schools and one high school in the area were visited and check-ups on all students carried out.
From 2002 until 2008, it operated as a mother and child clinic with a midwife and assistant. Village women from the surrounding area came for births and abortions.
With the successful improvement and extension of the centre, we are now negotiating with doctors to come to the clinic on a regular basis and provide a wider range of medical services to local villagers. In 2009, with the support of the medical and dental colleges of Moradabad, two health camps were held where specialists gave free advice.
Health Initiatives
Since 2000, a number of successful health fairs have been held. People come from the surrounding villages to receive free advice and medicine from doctors who donate their services.
In 2007, we initiated a successful fund drive to extend and improve the existing centre. This was completed in 2008 and is now used for eye and health camps. In April 2009, six highly qualified women doctors came from Moradabad and gave free consultations to local village women. This is expected to become a regular feature.
On 16th July 2009, a free medical and dental camp was held in the new centre with doctors and dentists from Sahu Rameshwar Saran Kothiwal Hospital and Heart Care Centre, Moradabad who donated their services for the day. They included specialists in heart, gynaecology, eye diseases and dentistry. Nearly 900 patients were seen.
Other health initiatives have included a camp to vaccinate babies and toddlers, a conference on Nutrition, Health and Rural Poverty and regular distribution of vitamins to the primary school children.
Free Eye Camps
In 1987, the Amarpurkashi Project received funds from Save the Children, Canada and a ten-day free eye camp was held for the first time. 480 villagers came to have their eyes examined and 42 were selected for cataract operations which were performed in the project’s primary school.
Since then, eye camps have been held at least once a year. Around 4,000 patients have had their eyes examined and 430 have had cataract operations. A successful eye camp was held in November 2009 with over 30 villagers operated on for cataracts and 300 given free medicines for other eye ailments.
Health Awareness Programmes
SIFPSA - State Innovations in Family Planning Services Project Agency
In March 2002, the APK project was chosen to run SIFPSA, a health education and family planning programme funded by USAID through the state government. It covered a local population of 82,203 and focused on ante-natal care, infant and child immunization, contraception and family planning advice. 38 women and one man were employed with most of the work based in the villages.
The project was a great success with our workers exceeding the government targets in nearly every area. The immunisation programme was particularly successful as our workers covered villages that the government officials had given up as a lost cause.
KOPAL II
In October 2005, APK accepted a new, three-year project funded by Plan-International. This was a campaign to encourage villagers to register births and deaths and to make people in the district of Moradabad and particularly in the administrative area of Bilari aware of the evils of female foeticide. Five local people were employed. As part of their work, they generated publicity for the campaign, organised rallies and demonstrations, held meetings with gynaecologists and other doctors likely to use ultrasound technology and motivated government officials.
HIV/AIDS Link Workers’ Scheme
In February 2008, Plan India (funded by UNDP) asked the APK project to implement a three-year HIV/AIDS awareness-raising programme in the rural areas of Moradabad district. There are 48 link workers, half of them women. After two months’ urban mapping and fourteen days’ training, these workers have now begun community outreach with the distribution of materials, a school education programme and capacity building for community organisations.
Information for Supporters
See the health care fund appeal.Information for Visitors
Under the VRI volunteering scheme, you can stay as a guest of the project and learn more about health education, and about grass roots development work in India in general.