Tribal Health Initiative Sittilingi
Introduction
Tribal Health Initiative is a public charitable trust located in the Sittilingi valley in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu. It works for the welfare of the local community who are predominantly Malavasi tribals. The Tribal Health Initiative was started in 1993 by Dr. Regi George and Dr. LalithaRegi.
It started with a small Out Patient Unit in a thatched hut. Three years later, mostly due to the support of friends and a few grants, they had built a ten bedded hospital with a rudimentary operation theatre, labour room, neonatal care, emergency room and laboratory.
As of 2010, the charitable trust established has more than thirty employees and works to improve the lives of the region’s tribal people through a variety of programs. It runs a full-fledged 24 bed primary care hospital and has extended its services to conduct education programs and outreach clinics in the 21 villages situated in the area. The impact has been dramatic.
The proportion of pregnant mothers coming for antenatal check-ups has increased from 11 per cent to 90 per cent since the outreach clinics began. Newborn deaths have dropped by 50 per cent and the proportion of underweight five year olds has also dropped by 30 per cent over the same period. Objectives
The objective of Tribal Health Initiative is that
• The people of Sittilingi valley lead a better quality of life.
• To attain the highest possible level of physical, mental and social health.
• To enhance their socio-economic status while retaining their pride, self-respect and self-reliance and ensuring their active participation in programs meant for their welfare.
• To create an atmosphere highly conducive for the growth and development of local cultures and customs.
Works of Tribal Health Initiative
Tribal Health Initiative views health as a state of mental, social and economic well-being and not the mere absence of disease. Our health interventions go beyond merely providing curative and preventive medical
Tribal Health Initiative is a public charitable trust located in the Sittilingi valley in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu. It works for the welfare of the local community who are predominantly Malavasi tribals. The Tribal Health Initiative was started in 1993 by Dr. Regi George and Dr. LalithaRegi.
It started with a small Out Patient Unit in a thatched hut. Three years later, mostly due to the support of friends and a few grants, they had built a ten bedded hospital with a rudimentary operation theatre, labour room, neonatal care, emergency room and laboratory.
As of 2010, the charitable trust established has more than thirty employees and works to improve the lives of the region’s tribal people through a variety of programs. It runs a full-fledged 24 bed primary care hospital and has extended its services to conduct education programs and outreach clinics in the 21 villages situated in the area. The impact has been dramatic.
The proportion of pregnant mothers coming for antenatal check-ups has increased from 11 per cent to 90 per cent since the outreach clinics began. Newborn deaths have dropped by 50 per cent and the proportion of underweight five year olds has also dropped by 30 per cent over the same period. Objectives
The objective of Tribal Health Initiative is that
• The people of Sittilingi valley lead a better quality of life.
• To attain the highest possible level of physical, mental and social health.
• To enhance their socio-economic status while retaining their pride, self-respect and self-reliance and ensuring their active participation in programs meant for their welfare.
• To create an atmosphere highly conducive for the growth and development of local cultures and customs.
Works of Tribal Health Initiative
Tribal Health Initiative views health as a state of mental, social and economic well-being and not the mere absence of disease. Our health interventions go beyond merely providing curative and preventive medical
References: http://www.tribalhealth.org/