Sewa Aarogyam – Caring for the Unreached |
The health care sector in India has been for long lying in shambles owing to the heavy burden of patients, poor infrastructure and a not so enough government funding of healthcare initiatives thus leading to high out of pocket expenditure for the public. Adding to the woes the problems of accessibility, affordability and quality remain some of the key challenges in the Indian health scenario. As recommended by the World Health Organization the accepted norm for public spending on healthcare is 2.5-5.0 % of GDP, whereas India’s public healthcare funding remains at 1.2 % of GDP in the year 2017-18. Also, countries like Bangladesh, despite having a lower public health spending budget than ours have a much lower infant mortality rate. So clearly the problem is not just with resource allocation. Government healthcare spending in India could be more effective if larger fund allocation for healthcare is supplemented with effective and innovative interventions which aim to accomplish global standards specifically in rural and inaccessible areas. | Volunteer Sewa International invites volunteers to come forward and support various initiatives by volunteering with us. Click To Donate |
Objectives of the program
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Since its inception about a month back, Sewa Arogyam has been moving around remote areas of Rudraprayag and Chamoli, holding regular camps in villages, working when temperatures have dropped as low as -6 degrees in these harsh Himalayan winters in the upper regions. The team has been offering door to door consultations, free medicines and tests at bare minimum charges and thus bringing about changes where it should be, at the grassroots. With qualified doctors, medical practitioners, lab technicians and dedicated volunteers the dream of providing quality and affordable medical care to these far-flung areas is becoming a reality for us and with the help of like-minded service oriented donors, we hope to make this initiative bigger and better, reaching beyond these two districts. If you feel inspired to serve and want to contribute, feel free to reach out to us. You can donate, enroll as volunteers or simply provide your expertise in case you have experience in the health sector or the medical field. |
Rural Healthcare And The Need For Mobile Medical Vans
Despite notable gains in area wise coverage, specifically when India is moving ahead towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, reaching populations in the most remote areas remains a constant challenge. Rural remote areas are areas of low population density especially in the mountainous regions such as Uttarakhand, which implies that the distance between the people is too much. This geographical fact itself multiplies the barriers to healthcare services many folds. In addition to the distance problem, the lack of healthcare manpower in rural areas is a big problem. A factor that cannot be fixed with money. So, even though we recognize a great need for healthcare in rural areas, simply pouring money into these regions is not the complete answer. Mobile Medical Units can be a key service strategy to reach the vulnerable and marginalized populations living in remote, difficult areas due to geographical barriers. |
Social Impact
250 | 24 | 1,00,000+ |
Success Stories
Healing the little one – Nandini from Chauriya
Treating beyond Prejudices – Bhavani Dutt from Tapovan
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