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Village Health and Development program in the rural areas of MahabaleshwarTaluka, Satara District
For the lastfew years Bel-Air Hospital has been implementing a comprehensive village health and development program in the hilly areas of MahabeleshwarTaluka of Satara District with funding from various organizations. The project area has 123 villages including 12 Muras (villages set on top of mountains) with a total population of 72830. This is one of the most inaccessible part of Maharashtra tucked in the Sahyadri hills across the Shivsagar lake created by the Koyana dam. The Primary Health Care Centers (PHC) are most often under staffed or non-functional. Health Care workers specially doctors are reluctant to be posted to such PHCs. The access is through country boats and in the monsoons boats do not ply. The project is quiet challenging which required the team to set up base camps across the lake to provide services in the villages. A team of 2 experienced social workers and 10 nurses are posted in the area.
Summary of activities conducted since August 2015 is given below.
Sr.No |
Name of the Activity
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Beneficiaries
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1
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Village Assessments
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31 villages
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2
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Community Meetings
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160Meetings and3168 people attended.
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3
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Medical Camps
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76 medical camps and 3832 villagers attended.
4 Dental camps held at Bel-Air Hospital, 174 children and 50 adults benefited
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4
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Awareness Campaigns
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400 awareness campaigns and 7726 people participated.
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5
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Family Files
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557 files prepared
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6
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Hb Testing
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1069 persons tested .690 found anaemic. Initiated corrective interventions.
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7
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Body Mass Index
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3007 persons checked.
1486 found malnourished.
Nutritional education and support initiated.
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8
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Vegetable Garden
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398 families
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9
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Diabetic Screening
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923 people tested .143 found diabetic.
Diet counselling given and linked to treatment.
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10
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De-worming
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296
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11
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Vaccination
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139 children.
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12
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Referrals
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226cases .
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13
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Curative Services
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2225 persons
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14
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Anti TB work
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Sputum screening
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5790 screened. Sputum Positive 309.
MDR Positive - 31
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15
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Water Supply System
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31 villages
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16
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Rain Water Harvesting
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1 village – 40 lakh liters
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The villagers now have better access to quality health care. The overall health of the children in the target area has improved due to the nutritional support provided through the project. Villages have started kitchen gardening. Due to the rain water harvesting and water supply projects, drinking water needs are addressed.
Due to the project there has been a significant improvement in levels of hygiene and general health of the target population. There has been a marked change in the attitude towards medical care, institutional deliveries, hygiene, nutritional aspect, maternal health etc.
The government noted the excellent work being carried out by Bel-Air of the comprehensive health care provided to the rural villages of MahabaleshwarTaluka. On 4th July 2018 the Government of Maharashtra handed over two Primary Health Centers at Taldev and Tapolaand 14 sub-centres to Bel-Air. This is the first time the Government has handed over such facilities to another organisation. Within the five months of taking over, the PHCs are now among the top performers in the District. The performance of the two PHCS in the first 5 months can be viewed
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