Impact :
Close to two Lakhs patients got benefitted. Hospitalisation of severely malnourished children increased significanlty, hospital deliveries doubled. Outcome of hospitalized severely malnourished children improved significantly (P' value<0.001). There is overall improvement in 17 government hospitals.
It is safe, affordable, acceptable and hence replicable in other rural and tribal area of Melghat.
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Tribal
Interacting with women and children at the PHC
Tribal
Counselor Program
Problem Background :
The Melghat tribal were very reluctant towards hospitalization, especially of severly malnourished children & hosptial deliveries. This was due to lack of proper & functional medical facilities (availability of doctors, staff, medicines, instruments etc.), superstitions & poor social economic condtions of tribal.
MAHAN Intervention:
MAHAN along with ‘KHOJ’ an another NGO started the Counselor program with a basic objective of strengthening the systems at government hospitals and patient mobilization for hospital care. The goal is to reduce child deaths and maternal deaths and improve the overall health of the Melghat tribal.
Local Korku youth trained on essential aspects are posted in 17 local govt. heath centers as watch dog mechanism. They ensure that staff are timely available, instruments are working, medicine are available, patients are not denied treatment, hygiene is maintained etc. They also act as bridge (or translator) between staff & patients. Their important role was to mobilize hospitalisation of severly malniourished children & hospital deliveries.