We are raising funds to support Dr Aquinas Edassery in her mission to equip a small, 10-bed hospital in Kaniguma District, Kalahandi Orissa, India.

Dr Aquinas Edassery runs 24/7 health centres at two locations in Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi, Orissa which are severely deprived of health facilities.

After retirement, Dr Aquinas Edassery went from working in Bangalore’s St. John’s hospital to the forests of Thuamul Rampur block, Orissa to serve the neediest people.

“It was not an easy decision to make, to move to a remote corner of the country that lacks basic facilities, to gain the trust of the tribal people and work with them, and not knowing the local language. ” she says. In this area, the primary health centre has just one doctor and one nurse. Most of the women have unassisted deliveries at their homes. The place has rampant malaria cases — people do not know how it spreads or that it can be cured. Tuberculosis is rampant too. Deaths are eerily silent. “Someone had to step in and start doing things,” says Dr Aquinas.

Here is Dr Aquinas Edassery in her own words.

"A hospital is desperately needed in Kaniguma, Distt. Kalahandi in Odisha, India to supplement the work of Medical NGO called Swasthya Swaraj Society(SSS).

We started 10 years ago in a remote area in Distt. Kalahandi Odisha that has been serially overlooked in State development plans for multiple reasons including it’s tribal population and illiteracy. We are working to improve the health and education of the populace through:

• Weekly out-patient clinics held in 2 villages

• 79 'Swasthya Sathis' - Trained village women, who have received instruction as front line health workers and communicators

• 63 'Shishu Sathis' - Youth volunteers, who have been trained to offer preschool education to children 3-6 years of age.

• 14 'Shiksha Sathis' - Instructors in Elementary Education - who supplement the education of children in schools.

• Mobile care units for children under 5 and antenatal clinics held by trained health care workers in the villages.

• DCHP - a 2 year training program in collaboration with Centurion University for women with high school education to be trained as responsible guides for the community.

• 1 'Gaon Swasthya Poshan Gharao', Village Nutrition Centers to be run by DCHP trained graduates

• 15 Health Promoting Schools which have transformed 15 non functioning govt. schools into nodal points for heath and nutrition promotion and academic excellence

• 'Tulsi Saathi' - An empowerment program for 1500 Adolescents

The maternal, neonatal and under 5 mortality in this area have improved. The deliveries are conducted in homes. To reduce the maternal and neonatal mortality further we need to deliver some mothers in a hospital and to this end a hospital within easy reach of the populations is essential. We acquired land from the government and have been able to raise funds for building a hospital which is expected to be completed by early 2024. Mousumi Dasgupta, of Ubharti is taking on this effort to help us raise funds to furnish the hospital. Your help will be sincerely appreciated by SSS and the locals. We share our statistics and request us to help us improve further to at least meet the World standards in health. "

- Dr Aquinas Edassery of Swasthya Swaraj Society.