The Abha Seva Sadan Multitherapy Charitable Health Centre is a service project of the locally registered trust ABHA, and is also a project of AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team), a non-profit international NGO for disaster relief and community development registered with the United Nations.
In April 2005 a 1-acre plot at Aamtal, Kashijharia was acquired in the midst of a very underdeveloped area. In May 2005 we began our medical services by offering allopathic, homeopathic and acupuncture treatments for a rural population of approx. 60,000.
Clinical Activities
In the allopathy department, Dr. S.K. Das has been giving voluntary service and has been treating an average of 30-40 patients on clinic days.
In homeopathy, Dr. Prabhas Mahato is treating 20-30 patients on clinic days.
In acupuncture, Dr. D.K. Rout is treating 30-35 patients on clinic days.
End of 2006 we offered 5 weekly sessions of dental treatment with the volunteer service of dental surgeon Dr. A.K. Sinha of Bokaro.
Since July 2007 physiotherapy treatments are being given every Monday. Helping Hands of Bokaro donated physiotherapy equipment for this purpose.
Village Health Education Programmes
Throughout 2006 and 2007 we have been holding well cleaning programmes in average on a weekly basis, using bleaching powder to disinfect the water of drinking water wells in many surrounding villages. While demonstrating this, one of our doctors educates the nearby villagers about the necessity of maintaining the cleanliness of their wells and water, and explains how they can continue to do it themselves. At the same time, a solution of diluted phenyle is sprayed into stagnant water areas all around the village, to destroy breeding mosquitoes and other parasites and bacteria.
In 2007 we have started as an additional element of this programme slogan writing campaigns, to educate the villagers about various aspects of health including nutrition.
Malnutrition Eradication Programmes
We have been going on an almost weekly basis to the surrounding villages for holding nutritional education programmes in response to the National Nutrition Week declared by the Govt. of India. In September 2006 a joint program was organised at Kura high school Bokaro with JSS Bokaro, which marked the completion of the first full year of our nutritional education programmes.
Since April 2007 a new phase of nutritional education programmes has started, using an entertaining drama about malnutrition and healthy nutrition to attract and educate many more villagers at a time. This was filmed and is now projected onto a large screen in at least one village every week. Out of a total of 57 most recently interviewed villagers who had seen the video programme, 39 (68%) have said that they’ve since then significantly increased the frequency of including green vegetables in their meals.
The film is also shown weekly at our clinic to waiting patients, and has been shown at a women’s awareness programme.
Since more than one year we are maintaining and expanding a medicinal as well as nutritional herbs garden for demonstration purposes to the outpatients as well as visitors. The gardens currently include 49 medicinal herbs and 19 nutritional herbs.
Joint Programmes
Various joint programmes with local NGOs were conducted, such as blanket and clothes distribution programmes with Helping Hands of Bokaro (which donated a pump, a water tank and physiotherapy equipment), and a medical camp in cooperation with the Bank of India, Pindrajora in association with Kisan Club, Pindrajora.
An eye check-up camp was held in April 2006 in cooperation with Helping Hands, which was followed by free eye-glass distribution to the patients.
In July 2006, seven of our volunteer staff went to participate in the government sponsored Malaria Eradication Programme training. Unfortunately due to lacking cooperation from the side of the Dist. Malaria Dept., they were not able to carry out continuing malaria eradication work in the villages of the district.
AIDS Awareness Programmes
From August 2006 we held two AIDS Awareness Programmes in our clinic hall for the surrounding villagers, in coordination with the NGO PACE. More than 80 villagers attended each time, many of whom had never heard of AIDS before.
Free books, leaflets and condoms were distributed to the participants.
Women’s Awareness Programmes
Since September 2007, 3 Sahiya programmes were held in coordination with the NGO Jana Jagaran Kendra, the last once including our nutritional education film, screened at Dungritand village.
Youth Awareness Programmes
From September 2006, we supported the youth awareness programmes of Nehru Yuva Kendra by hosting and helping to organise monthly meetings among the local youth clubs in our acupuncture hall.
Children’s Programmes
On the Republic Day in 2006, we held a flag-raising ceremony with games and prizes for children of a nearby village. On this year’s Republic Day, the same programme was conducted for the children of a nearby kindergarten.
In February 2007, a larger programme was held for over 200 children from several villages, with various games and competitions and prize distribution.
Animal Camps
In November 2006 an animal health check-up and treatment camp was held in Kashijharia village. 18 livestock animals, most of which were suffering from an acute outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, were treated.