The rural areas of Jharkhand state (formerly Bihar) in Northeastern India are among the poorest and most neglected parts of the country. The tribal inhabitants live in primitive conditions which have hardly improved in the last century. With few schools of poor quality, around 70% of the villagers are illiterate. They suffer from chronic malnutrition and infectious diseases. Primitive subsistence agriculture is the main employment available.

There is very poor health infrastructure in the surrounding of Kashijharia village. Easily treatable diseases such as tuberculosis, polio, leprosy, gastro-enteritis and malaria are still widespread here. Many women die during childbirth due to a complete lack of maternity services. Because of poor or inadequate training, village doctors often fail to recognize life-threatening complications. The nearest hospital is over 20 km away, which is too far as well as unaffordable for the villagers.

Our Immediate Needs

OUR VISION

The Abha Seva Sadan Multitherapy Charitable Health Centre (ASSMCH) was started to provide quality health care and health education. Its main features will include:

Holistic health care for the poor

No single discipline of healing is appropriate for all persons and all ailments. Since May 2005 ASSMCH is offering treatment in acupuncture, homeopathy and allopathy (Western medicine). Recently physiotherapy has begun and in the future ayurveda and naturopathy will be added. This holistic approach of combining conventional and alternative treatments allows the therapists to provide the most suitable care for each patient, offered at a nominal charge.

Grassroots work in villages

Our team is regularly visiting villages of the area, to educate the people about nutrition, hygiene and good health practices. This will in future be combined with medical treatment as well as cultural and sports activities, for the all-round physical and mental development of the population.

Training of health care workers

Another aspect of our work is to train primary health care workers. This training of local men and women is called Community Medical Service, a global programme of the World Health Organization. Through their work these village medical workers can earn a living as well as contribute to an effective health infrastructure in the region.

OUR PRESENT ACTIVITIES

In 2005 we acquired a 1-acre plot of land near Kashijharia village, which is one of the many poor villages in this area. Our land has good access via a nearby connecting road. We are serving a rural population of approx. 60,000 that has no access to other adequate and affordable medical facilities.

Due to our limited resources, we are not yet able to employ a doctor in each medical discipline on a daily basis. Currently the homeopathic doctor gives consultations 5 days a week and the acupuncture doctor 3 days a week. The allopathic doctor and physiotherapist each come 1 day a week. Our medicinal and nutritional herbs gardens are used to demonstrate to the patients which plants they can find in their own villages to help in curing and preventing diseases.

Our village work presently focuses on nutritional education. Since April 2007 this is being done by projecting onto a large screen an entertaining drama about nutrition, vitamins and their natural food sources. In addition, during and after the rainy season we educate about water hygiene and disinfect the drinking water wells in the villages.

OUR PLAN

Side by side with the expansion of our medical and educational services, the outpatient clinic building needs to be completed. This will include: consultation rooms for acupuncture, homeopathy, allopathy, naturopathy and physiotherapy, dressings room, pharmacies, store room, registration room, office and staff kitchen.

Due to limited funds, the construction is taking place phase-wise. We have completed the first 7 rooms of the ground floor and are preparing to build 5 additional rooms.

The monthly running costs of the clinic are at present approximately US$ 865. This amount includes staff salaries, medicines & supplies, utilities as well as general maintenance.

ABOUT US

The Abha Seva Sadan Multitherapy Charitable Health Centre is a project of the Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT), a non-profit NGO for disaster relief and community development which is registered with the United Nations. It has charitable and tax exempt status in the US, UK and various other countries. For more information about AMURT, please visit:

www.amurt.net

For more information about Abha Seva Sadan Multitherapy Charitable Health Centre and how you can help and participate in this service project, please email rural-health@amurt.net

We welcome donations as well as visitors and volunteers who would like to join us for some time in serving the needy.

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