Healthcare

mother&child1Rakhi Seva spends a lot of time in villages helping to implement variousĀ  programs. One of the greatest benefits of doing this kind of work is that we get to meet so many amazing people. Living in relative isolation, communities here are built with a few simple hand tools, materials accessed from the surrounding land and forests and with a will and spirit that has ensured their survival for millenia.

Malaji1

However, in spite of this, we often meet people who are ill, malnourished or injured. Many of these people are unable to access the various health care systems available to them. The reasons often cited for this include: poverty and the inability to pay for medications or private health care services; relative isolation and lack of appropriate transportation to health centres; and most importantly, a lack of awareness of the many free services available to them.

nurse1The government nurses that make rounds in these villages are doing their best to meet the needs of these communities. The areas they cover are vast and they do it most often on foot. Traditional healers have the same road blocks to meeting the needs of these communities and often ailments are outside of their specialties. So there are people who fall through the cracks and don’t receive the care they need.

Dr_AshokThese are the people that Rakhi Seva helps. We do so by providing transportation to and from health care centres. We provide funding for medications and private practices that are near to villages. We also provide a stipend for family members that act as care givers during hospitals stays. This alleviates the financial burden of having both a sick family member and a care giver away from home and work. Dr. S. Ramakrishnan, affectionately known as Dr. Ashok, (pictured at right) has helped us to serve these communities in so many ways.

Vinayak2He has provided free consultations and treatments for every person we have brought to see him. Dr. Ashok has provided advice and training on how to recognize early signs of malnutrition. He has helped us to elevate the standard of care for those communities that we serve. Dr. Ashok is also generous and very caring when volunteers fall ill. Dr. Ashok is a pediatrician and he has the busiest clinic in town.

Vinayak1

Pictured above and to the right is the staff of Vinayak Dental clinic. Led by Dr. Jagat Sharda this clinic has opened their doors to us and provided excellent care for villagers in need of emergency services.