Health Projects

SIVA TRUST THROUGH ITS HEALTH PROGRAM OFFERS VARIOUS SERVICES AND CONDUCTS VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH STATUS OF ITS TARGET COMMUNITIES.

Awareness program on Dengue prevention

Considering the widespread danger of Dengue fever infection, SIVA Trust conducted an awareness program on Dengue prevention in coordination with Government Primary Health Centre, Kurukalpatti recently.

The awareness program started with the orientation to the voluntary health workers and the VHNs about the identification of the people who are suffering from fever at the houses, through door-door visits.

Mr. Srinivasan, Block Health supervisor, Sernthamaram block explained to the school students and participants about:

maintaining of personal health & hygiene,
use of hot water for drinking,
wearing of foot wear during walk outside and
wearing of full slack shirts while sleeping.

Then he talked about the various infectious diseases that are spreading through water, air, mosquito and human being to human being during the rainy season and informed that many such patients are being treated at the GH, Sankarankoil and TVMC Hospital, Palayamkottai.

Particularly he narrated about people who are suffering by ADS mosquito bite. A mosquito bites the man in the morning hours and sucks the blood containing the virus from the infected person and passes the virus to the healthy people when it bites them. These mosquitoes live in the clean water at various places in the houses and vessels. House should be kept clean every day and also stagnation of water in the vessels should be monitored closely.

After his speech, a small rally was started from the primary school. Around 50 school students, panchayat president, vice president, secretary of the panchayat, school HM, teachers, McC and Health workers of SIVA Trust, self help group members, union councilor, ward members, health inspectors of Vannikonendal PHC, Sernthamaram PHC, Health supervisor of Sernthamaram block and local people took part in the rally.

The IEC materials containing facts on dengue and its prevention were distributed to the people at the village by our project staff during the rally. Slogans were used by the students and participants about the prevention of dengue and to safeguard our health from the mosquitoes. Mr. Muthupandi, Health Inspector, Kurukalpatti thanked all the participants. Sweets were distributed to the participant children and public at the end by the Panchayat President.

Dental check-up and awareness on Oral hygiene

SIVA Trust conducts regular medical check-up program for its target children at NFE centres. Recently free dental screening check-up camp was conducted with the help of dentists. The objective of the camp was to find out the prevalence of dental diseases among the children and motivate dental health among them and cultivate dental hygiene.

It was a day long camp and children from the three NFE centres, abused children identified by the project, adolescent girls from vocational centre, tailoring unit and the children from children’s clubs attended the camp.

Before starting the formal check-up, Dr.Shanmugapriya, and Dr.Chithan, the Medical officers at Senthamangalm Block Health centre gave oral health awareness to the children and the staff. Altogether 116 children (47 boys and 69 girls) and 19 staff attended the Dental Camp and benefited. Out of them, 14 (8 boys & 6 girls) children were identified with acute dental problems. Doctors advised them to go for further investigation and management at the Block level hospital, Senthamaram or at Government Hospital, Sankarankoil or Palayamkottai.

Eye Camp, in partnership with Aravind Eye Hospital

SIVA Trust with the support of Aravind Eye Hospital, Tirunelveli conducts free Eye Screening and Check up camp. The medical team consisting of 3 doctors, namely, Dr. Harisha, Dr. Rathinesh and Dr. Gowtham and 18 paramedical and ophthalmology trainees from the Hospital participated in the camp.

Our Health Workers assisted the medical team in registration of clients, motivating the local people to attend without fail, counselling the patients for referral and follow up services and arranging the venue for the camp in cooperation with the local panchayat member.
A total of 253 (134 Male+119 Female) members from 28 villages of M.N.Nallur block and the nearby Sankarankovil block participated and benefited from the medical camp.

Results of the camp: Doctors’ team screened and checked the eyes of all the 253 members using the medical equipments they brought. Simple medicines, eye drops were provided to the patients based on their problem. Out of 253 clients, 76 members (41 Male+35 Female) were identified with problems in their eyes and they were referred to the Aravind Hospital, Tirunelveli for eye operation immediately. Spectacles were provided to 22 patients by collecting of Rs.200/ per head and 16 clients who are required to wear spectacles were asked to go to Aravind Hospital at Tirunelveli for further check up. The Hospital authorities thanked SIVA Trust for the assistance rendered.

Follow up: Health workers of SIVA Trust will meet the operated clients at their house during their monitoring visit and will update their condition.

Observation of World Suicide Prevention Day

One of our project villages are Jamin Elanthakulam and Melaneelithanallur villages having rural population of 1037 and 2753 respectively. We have come to notice in the past for more number of suicide cases.

According to the WHO, Tamil Nadu is in the top position in suicidal death cases in comparison with the other three southern states.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau statistics, Chennai tops the list of suicides among cities, with 2183 cases in a year.
Tamil Nadu continues to be the country’s suicide capital with 16,927 people killing themselves or on average of 48 suicides per day.

SIVA Trust found out various reasons for suicide in these two villages, such as family problems, stigma and discrimination, difficulty in repaying loan, failure in examination, failure in love etc. To prevent such avoidable deaths at least in future, a number of awareness programs had been organized in these villages by SIVA Trust and individual counselling to the concerned family members were also organized on the occasion of the World Suicide Prevention Day, which brought down the incidents of such suicides considerably.

Every year, we observe the day by organizing rally and public meeting with the cooperation of the elected representatives, youth, children, women and adult belonging to these villages. Village level rally was conducted, where slogans were raised against suicidal tendencies, stressing importance of life, need for protecting the children and youth from crisis, promoting family relationship, teaching of moral values among the adolescent and youth and advising treatment at hospital when one feels uncomfortable or stressed. The school children (50) and adults (75) participated in the rally.

Addressing the meeting, our project staff explained the reasons that lead people to attempt suicide, such as continuous stress, uncomfortable talking, failure in love/ examination, lack of proper care of chronically ill patients, stigma and discriminations, over burden of loan dues, misunderstanding between husband and wife, superstitious life etc. Persons having such problems should share their concern to professionals, counselors, doctors and psychologists. These type of people should be identified by their family members and friends and referred to the concerned for proper treatment with understanding and compassion. Suicide is never the answer for any of these problems.

The staff motivated the participants to share the information with their family members, children, neighbors and relatives and insist on developing cordial relationship among the family members, sharing the happiness and sorrow within the family, developing good behavior and character among their children and creating awareness about the prevention of suicide. The participants agreed to do so.