Good health stimulates almost everything that people desire, to be free from illness and to escape poverty, hunger, to work to secure freedom, to gain education, learning, to be treated without discrimination, to be able to claim their rights and to live in a safe environment.
The United Nations 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) embraces these aspirations. SDGs are the basic objectives of a programme that aims to be a comprehensive prototype for human development. SDG- 3 states ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages’.
The Millennium Development Goal4, 5 and 6 primarily targeted major causes of illness and death in low-income countries with special focus on child and maternal mortality and major communicable diseases. In contrast, the SDG recognizes that opportunities to improve health can be found not only in specific health interventions (SDG 3), but also through social justice (SDGs 4, 5, 10, 16–17),environmental protection (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 11–15), and shared prosperity (SDGs 1, 8, 9). These three pillars of sustainable development are seen as unified and inseparable. It’s not merely another proposal for mitigating causes of death; it is a vision for a better way of life and recognizes that the many drivers of good health are interdependent. More explicitly than before, health is seen as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.”
World’s second-most-populous country, India faces both unique challenges and miraculous opportunities in the sphere of public health. Data from the Govt. shows that India’s infant mortality fell from 57 to 33 per 1,000 live births from 2006 to 2017 but still remain higher than the global 29.4. Life expectancy at birth has increased from 63 to 69 years, and the maternal mortality ratio has fallen from 374 to 130 per 100,000 live births over the same period. The country also faces perpetual and appall public health challenges, particularly for the poor.
Apart from this India also has a severe shortage of human resources for health, and too primarily concentrated in urban areas. Bringing qualified health workers to rural, remote, and underserved areas is very challenging. Nurses do not have much authority or say within the health system, and the resources to train them are still inadequate.
Uttarakhand has a population of 1.01 crore and a majority of them reside in rural areas. The health system is most affected among villagers living in the hills due to long time in travel apart from limited available means. Tehri distt. of Uttarakhand with a total area of 4421 sq. km, is so far major functional area of THDC. The lack of pathological, radiological & expert facilities etc. also forces the public to travel distant cities to get diagnosed and avail treatment, which in turn puts pressure on city health care facilities, infrastructure & patient kitty.
Keeping in view of this, THDCIL a government hydro major CPSU in North India and being a socially responsible organization, continuously strives to come up with solutions and health services facilities through various health camps and awareness drive with reputed hospitals and institutions. Some major community oriented efforts of THDC in the area of health are as under-
[gt_heading id=”gt-heading-476″ tag=”h3″ type=”double-separator” text_align=”left” icon=”” separator_color=”#ef9a2b” font_size=”” font_color=”” font_weight=”bold” css=””]Allopathic Dispensary at Deengaon, Tehri[/gt_heading]
Deengaon is located in the remotest area of district Tehri. To cater this issue THDC established an Allopathic Dispensary at Deengaon run by Shaheed Bhagat Singh (Eve) Collage, University of Delhi. Free of coast consultation and medicines are provided. All basic facilities are available (i.e. MBBS Doctor, Paramedical staff, and basic pathological tests, X-ray, ECG, on call ambulance facility (24X7 power backup), Minor OT & free medicines). This allopathic dispensary caters around 15000 population of surrounding approx. 40 villages. Annual Expenditure of this dispensary is apporx. Rs. 30 lakh.
[gt_heading id=”gt-heading-643″ tag=”h3″ type=”double-separator” text_align=”left” icon=”” separator_color=”#ef9a2b” font_size=”” font_color=”” font_weight=”bold” css=””]Support to Govt. Health System[/gt_heading]
THDC India Limited, apart from outreaching to project affected villages through health dispensary and medical camps, also support Govt. Health Infrastructure and systems from time to time by donating necessary health equips and medicines. In the recent past, THDC has donated one X-Ray Machine and 6 Fowler Beds to CHC, Sitarganj, Udam Singh Nagar; one Dental Chair and Machine Equipment to CHC, Lambhagon; one Ambulance to AIIMS, Rishikesh and one to VPHEP, Chamoli. THDC also supports Tehri Distt. Health Dept. to tackle high prevalent anemia among adolescent girls & pregnant women of the region by providing Iron tablet and nutrition supplement in liaison with Chief Medical Officer, Tehri Garhwal,.
[gt_heading id=”gt-heading-443″ tag=”h3″ type=”double-separator” text_align=”left” icon=”” separator_color=”#ef9a2b” font_size=”” font_color=”” font_weight=”bold” css=””]Multi-Speciality Medical Camps[/gt_heading]
Every year SEWA-THDC also conducts 10-15 multispecialty medical camps including eye camps in Tehri district through THDC doctors posted at Tehri, Koteshwar projects, Rishikesh and Nirmal Eye Institute Rishikesh. Recently medical camps after MoU with AIIMS, Rishikesh were also being held at Tehri, Koteshwar & Rishikesh to scale up the health services in remote locations in liason with District CMO. Rotary International, another reputed NGO is also being roped in to further enhance the health benefits to remote villages of Tehri Distt. in consultation with State Deptts. Dental camps were also being organized in partnership with Seema Dental College, Rishikesh.
[gt_heading id=”gt-heading-467″ tag=”h3″ type=”double-separator” text_align=”left” icon=”” separator_color=”#ef9a2b” font_size=”” font_color=”” font_weight=”bold” css=””]Tele-Medicine Centers[/gt_heading]
Tele-Medicine scheme uses telecommunication and IT to provide clinical health care from a distance. First of its kind in Uttarakhand, started in December’ 2017. Total 40 Tele-Medicine Centers are operational in District Tehri in convergence with District Administration, Tehri and serves to the need of 200 Gram Sabhas and approx. 1 Lakh people. All Telemedicine centers are equipped with a medical kit (briefcase) having Pulse Oxymeter, ECG Machine, Wifi ECG recorder, X-Ray view box, Glucometer and other essential tools and a comprehensive pathological kit along with an android tablet having list of 500 essential medicines & portable hot spot to facilitate diagnosis, data transfer and communication with district hospital. Scheme is further linked to AIIMS, Rishikesh for expert services not available in District Tehri.
THDCIL along with Tehri District Admin has been conferred with E-Governance Award by Deptt. of Administrative Reform and Public Grievance under Ministry of Public Grievance and Pension, GoI. in March, 2019.
[gt_heading id=”gt-heading-482″ tag=”h3″ type=”double-separator” text_align=”left” icon=”” separator_color=”#ef9a2b” font_size=”” font_color=”” font_weight=”bold” css=””]Training of Health Professional[/gt_heading]
THDC in order to address the shortage of qualified health workers in Govt. and private health systems, started to facilitate skill development of youth from project affected villages in courses like A.N.M since 2017. Since inception total 32 youths are supported through CSR plan of THDC to attain the qualification of trained ANM to serve the society.
[gt_heading id=”gt-heading-380″ tag=”h3″ type=”double-separator” text_align=”left” icon=”” separator_color=”#ef9a2b” font_size=”” font_color=”” font_weight=”bold” css=””]Homeopathic Dispensaries[/gt_heading]
Homeopathy is an alternate form of medicine based on doctrine of like cures like, a claim that a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people would cure similar symptoms in sick people. Total 06 dispensaries are operational in District Tehri, Uttarkashi & at Rishikesh through Swami Narayan Mission Society, Rishikesh to provide free of cost consultation and medicine facility. Expenditure of homeopathic dispensaries is approx. Rs. 25 lakh/ year.
“THDC has spent more than 60 % of its annual CSR budget on Government CSR theme Health Care & Education for the year 2018-19 and is committed to ensure the same in year 2019-20 in govt. directed CSR theme School Education, Health Care & Nutrition.”
[divider][/divider]Cumulative summary of OPD registered in various health initiatives under CSR plan:
| Year | Tele-Medicine | 555 Health Scheme | MC by THDC Doctors | MC by Nirmal Eye Institute | MC by AIIMS, Rishikesh | MC by Delhi University Project | MC by HNB University Project | MC by other agencies | Homeo-pathic Dispensary | Allo-pathic Dispensary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 7338 | – | 728 | 174 | 1844 | – | – | 303 | 41289 | 6721 | 58397 |
| 2018-19 | 15324 | 8346 | 2268 | 1023 | 1338 | 265 | – | 1413 | 85251 | 16272 | 131500 |
| 2017-18 | 1964 | 2392 | 3366 | 1741 | 311 | 622 | 69 | 1381 | 70546 | 19145 | 101537 |
| 2016-17 | – | – | 3811 | 1592 | – | – | – | – | 66193 | 13564 | 85160 |
| 2015-16 | – | – | 345 | 634 | – | – | 597 | – | 84142 | 12722 | 98440 |
| 2014-15 | – | – | – | 4451 | – | – | 446 | – | 91274 | 8228 | 104399 |
| 2013-14 | – | – | 758 | 1085 | – | 116 | – | 2002 | 70057 | – | 74018 |
| 2012-13 | – | – | 442 | – | – | – | – | 3167 | 79054 | – | 82663 |
| 2011-12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1099 | 71697 | – | 72796 |
| 2010-11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 42043 | – | 42043 |
| 24626 | 10738 | 11718 | 10700 | 3493 | 1003 | 1112 | 9365 | 701546 | 76652 | 850953 |
*MC= Medical Camps
** SEWA-THDC- A registered NGO of THDC India Limited
