Shree Vitthalrao Joshi Charities Trust's
Bhaktashreshtha Kamalakarpant Laxman Walawalkar Hospital and Diagnostic Centre

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Dear Sir / Madame,

Bhaktshreshtha Kamalakar L. Walawalkar Hospital is devoted to the poor people in rural area. It is the only hospital with various diagnostic facilities like C.T.Scan, Haemodialysis, Intensive care units, Neonatal I.C.U, Operation theatres being available at a very subcisided rate in whole of Ratnagiri district.

The Hospital is located in rural hilly area of Konkan i.e. 16km away from chiplun on Bombay Goa highway at village called Dervan. It acts as a community Health care centre by extending services in to the community. It is a secondary care level referral centre where preventive & curative services are both available under one roof.

The following activities for paediatric age group were carried out by the hospital in last 4 years.

Maternal & Child Health Project :-

The project aimed at assesement of nutritional status of selected 4 groups of community and lasting effect of short term supply of micronutrients ( Vit D, B Complex, Iron & Calcium ) in therapeutic dosage, was carried in March - Oct 1999.

A total of 651 individuals were studied.

Group I - Children under 6 yrs. 299.

Group II - their mothers 149.

Group III - adolescent girls 160.

Group IV - Pregnant women 43

They all received 2 months supply of micronutrients ( Vide Supra ). Randomly selected individuals ( 115 ) underwent biochemical & haematological investigations both before and 6 months after the supplimenrations.

The results of this survey ( which are being prepared for publication ) & Supplimentation were fairly convincing of the fact that majority of the population shows deficiency of these nutrients & supplimrntations of them in therapeutic doses over a period of 2 months has a long lasting positive effect.

The actual complete cost which was beared by the hospital for the above mentioned project was Rs. 1,25,000/- This included medication of Rs. 35,000/-, cost of distribution Rs. 25,000/-, & cost of pathology work up was Rs. 87,500/- including disposable laboratory material reagents & preservatives etc. The complete enthusiastic co - operation of local social health workers ( e.g. Anganwadi workers, school teachers was priceless).

This work ( Sans the lab part of it ) can be repeated & many more needy sections of the population can be covered at a cost of approximately Rs. 60/- per person.

Paediatric out patient department at a very low cost of Rs. 10/-

Paediatric indoor department including Neonatal care unit at a very low cost.

Hepatitis - B vaccination camps at subsidised rate for children in the community.

As this vaccine is not provided under UIP (universal immunisation programme ) , the children are benefited.

School Health Programme ( Free of cost ):-

Under this programme we have adopted certain schools. Annually complete check up of the child is carried out by paediatrician, dentist, ENT, Surgeons. It is combined with health education to school children on important health topics in the from of lectures, story telling, songs & games etc. This education is provided once a week throughout the academic year of the child.

Deworming of all school children is carried out at every 6 months.

Under this programme we have formed groups of children to whom we teach a particular health message & ask them to spread the message to siblings, family members & community at large.

The community health department of the hospital carries out cheek up of all paediatric children in the adopted villages to look for signs of vit A deficiency.

Deworming followed by vit A supplementation & nutrition education to parents on sources of vit A and prevention of Xerophthalmia is carried out.

Adolescent girls groups have been formed in various villages. Health education in the from of group discussion, posters, question & answer session is imparted to them. Lectures on anatomy & physiology of female reproductive tract, STD, AIDS etc. were delivered.

Were held in schools of various remote villages. Chronic tonsillitis requiring surgery were called to hospital for surgery. Treatment of chronic suppurative otilis media was also carried out during these camps.

Under Dental camp education regarding dental caries & treatment of the same was imparted.

For further correspondence please contact Mr. Vikas Walawalkar at the following:

C/o Shree Vitthalrao Joshi Charities Trust