action for rural rejuvenation

ARR-A SHORT INSIGHT DOC. DATED 01.11.2011

ACTION FOR RURAL REJUVENATION- A SHORT INSIGHT…

Action for Rural Rejuvenation (ARR) initiative is a comprehensive rural rehabilitation program that provides initial relief for urgent medical needs and ongoing services to restore inner well-being and rebuild community.

ASPIRING FOR..

ARR’s primary objective is to improve the overall health and quality of life of the rural poor. ARR is a unique, well-defined philanthropic effort, which enhances existing development schemes by supporting indigenous models of health, disease prevention and community participatory governance, while offering primary health care services by allopathic treatment as well as native system (Siddha, Ayurveda) of medicines through its dedicated team of qualified and trained personnel.

Throughout this project, health is viewed holistically, involving a multitude of unparalleled components to create healthier environments and wholesome ways of living, targeting the mind, body and spirit concurrently.

CURRENTLY OPERATING AT..

7 regional offices (Chennai, Coimbatore, Gobichettipaalayam, Madurai, Salem, Thalavadi and Kolli Hills) with its Zonal Offices at Salem and Coimbatore. Currently, 15 MHCs are being operated.

DWELVING INTO THE HISTORY

2003:

The first Mobile Health Clinic was launched in August 2003 in the town of Gobichettipaalayam in Erode district, Tamil Nadu by Sadhguru, Founder, Isha Foundation.


2004:

In 2004, when the Asian Tsunami struck the coast of Tamil Nadu, ARR was involved in rehabilitation work and provided medical aid, support for the reconstruction of houses and boats, adoption of orphans, impartation of yoga as a means to overall physical and mental well-being and in community building efforts. ARR also adopted 120 affected villages in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts for long-term rehabilitation. Eight mobile health clinics with an allopathic physician and a paramedical support team of four each provided medical care every day to nearly 4,000 villages in the affected areas.

2005

ARR also provided aid and support in 2005, when Cuddalore, Chidambaram and Trichy districts of Tamil Nadu were affected by monsoon floods.

2005-2007

Isha Gramotsavam happened in Gobi, Coimbatore, Salem, Chennai where more than 6 Lakh rural people participated in the celebrations.

2008

Launch of Arokiya Alai, a series of mass Health awareness camps in rural Tamilnadu,

A trial of ARR in West Africa – Sierra leone.


2010

Launch of AYUSH Isha Organic Health Systems (www.ishaoutreach.org/ayush), at Kolli Hills block tribal community in Namakkal District, a first ever public health intervention project using Siddha, Ayurveda and Yoga for Health care delivery.

Flood Relief Camps were conducted helping the people affected by the flood in the areas of Nagapattinam and Thriuvarur Districts.

Launch of Patient Monitoring System using IT Application for Public Health Research.

NUANCES OF THE ONGOING JOURNEY….

MOBILE HEALTH CLINICS

An essential part of Action for Rural Rejuvenation are the free Mobile Health Clinics which provide timely medical care to people who would otherwise not have access due to financial constraints or the remoteness of the region. Action for Rural Rejuvenation also brings free yoga classes and introduces medicinal herb gardens which support the health of villagers through indigenous methods. Another health promoting activity of the project is the community games organized in each village, which offer a healthy alternative to alcohol and drug abuse.

Implemented in 4,500 villages across the Coimbatore, Chennai, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul, Madurai, Theni, Tiruvannamalai, Thiruvallur and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu and in Chamaraj Nagar in Karnataka, Action for Rural Rejuvenation has reached 3,161,181 villagers.


RENDERING HANDS FOR NATURE’S FURY--TSUNAMI RELIEF AND REHABILITATION

Isha Foundation was quick in its response to the unprecedented and catastrophic death and destruction caused by the tsunami on 26th December, 2004. In coastal areas of Chidambaram and Cuddalore and the devastated villages in Vellankovil and Nagapattanam, thousands of Isha volunteers from all walks of life tirelessly operated relief camps from the very first day, offering food, shelter, quality medical assistance and psychological relief to the victims. Specially designed Isha Yoga classes were also conducted to help those affected cope with the disaster, through physically and psychologically strengthening tools.


Personally participating in the relief and rehabilitation programs, Sadhguru made several visits to the affected areas – closely directing and overseeing the process. Eight Mobile Health Clinics complete with their medical teams, supplies and thousands of volunteers were immediately moved from their project sites to the coast and put at the disposal of the district administration.

Subsequently, in close working with the district administration, Isha Foundation adopted four villages in Cuddalore district and completed a model rehabilitation program that was highly acclaimed by the beneficiary communities and the state administration alike. In addition, Mobile Health Clinics were permanently dedicated to implementing the project Action for Rural Rejuvenation in 60 coastal villages.

Isha Foundation delivered its first permanent house to the victims within 30 days of the disaster. The novel housing design developed promptly by Sadhguru himself, was certified as fire, earthquake, cyclone and tsunami proof by various institutions. Further, a boat manufacturing facility was set up on the premises of Isha Yoga Center to respond to the urgent need for fishing boats (the sole livelihood provider of coastal villagers). Volunteer engineers and professionals assisted to restore livelihoods lost through the calamity.

REVITALISING THE LOCAL FLAVOUR THROUGH SPORTS - ISHA Gramotsavam

An essential component of the Action for Rural Rejuvenation program had been the introduction of sports and recreational activities in the rural villages of Tamil Nadu.

Daily gatherings on the volley-ball court help to renew a sense of community by involving villagers old and young, and men and women from all castes and economic levels. Playing together fosters a healthy spirit of competition, which translates into higher self-esteem, improved communal harmony, better health and enhanced productivity.


It is in this spirit that Isha Foundation volunteers organized Gramotsavam or "Rural Olympics “in Gobi in 2004, Coimbatore in 2005, Salem in 2006 and Chennai in 2007. Through the event, 600 teams from villages in 7 districts competed in over 13 different sport disciplines and traditional rural games such as Selambu Attam, an ancient martial art, Rekala Race, a bullock cart race to beat the clock, tug of war, Uri adi (hitting a pot strung on a height), vazhuku maram or greasy pole contests, Volleyball and Throw ball finals for men and women. Modern track & field events along with fun filled village games allow spectators of all ages to become participants in this weekend-long sport festival.

However, Gramotsavam is not just about sports, it also provides an opportunity to celebrate South India's rural life and culture. The event showcased traditional rural cuisine and local arts and crafts, while folk songs and dances delighted the 600,000+ attendees.

Moreover Rural Olympics is happening every year at Gobichettipalayam, Erode district involving more than 200 teams from 160 villages annually since 2004.

AROKIYA ALAI-THE WAVE OF HEALTH among the RURAL COMMUNE

ARR conducts health awareness events and medical camps across Tamil Nadu under the Isha Arogya Gramam Plan launched in 2008 in order to address the healthcare needs of people in rural areas. Patients are screened and treated for general health, eye, ENT and dental problems. The “Wave of Health” or Arokia Alai program also works to support this endeavor by spreading awareness on nutrition, disease prevention and hygiene and sanitation to the rural people through talks and media presentations. The Arokia Alai project provides free-of-cost, simple, healthy


dietary solutions to help eradicate malnutrition in villagers. By providing knowledge on diseases and their symptoms, Arokia Alai seeks to make villagers proactive about their health and enable them to detect diseases early through the taught symptoms and thus take the necessary action.

A Number of camps are being conducted in various rural villages as a part of Arokiya Alai Series.


ISHA KRIYA – an ancient yogic tool for sustainable physical as well as inner wellbeing:

Sadhguru’s vision is to offer “one drop spirituality” to the entire humanity. This is made possible by Isha Kriya, a simple but powerful 20-minute yogic practice. Daily practice of Isha Kriya enhances one to reach the heights of physical and inner well being, enabling to create a better healthy and happy rural society.

Isha Kriya sessions conducted during the Arokiya Alai camps and School Health Awareness programs has its own impact among the teachers and particularly the elders of the rural community

R & D:

With increasing patients each and every month, ARR introduced Online Patient Monitoring System to keep track of the patients and their history online, in collaboration with Yousee (www.yousee.in) and Swasth India (www.swasthindia.in). Laptops were installed in one Mobile Health Clinic from October 8, 2010 and Patients Details (including their ID Proof Details) and Medications are entered. This enables to keep a complete track of patients and gives better reliability of the figures, whenever needed. This application also has an option for the Medicine Inventory Management which effectively reduces most of the back office work.

Mobile Clinics at remote villages which lack Network connectivity are provided with hand held scanners to scan the Patient Cards and being digitized at the Back Office. Currently, five of the mobile clinics are digitized. This initiative will progress with further advancements like Telemedicine.


ARR IN DIGITS & FIGURES as of march 31, 2011

TOTAL NUMBER OF PANCHYATS REACHED: 665

TOTAL NO OF VILLAGES TOUCHED: 4,500

TOTAL NUMBER OF MOBILE HEALTH CLINICS: 15

TOTAL NO OF MEDICAL BENEFICIARIES: 3,161,181

AVG PATIENTS PER DAY PER CLINIC: 124

TOTAL NO OF CAMPS CONDUCTED: 1,861

TOTAL NO OF CAMP BENEFICIARIES: 293,689

STATIstiCS 2010-11:

Districts covered- 14 - Coimbatore, Erode, Karur, Namakkal, Salem, Trichy, Perambalur, Chennai, Thiruvallur, Dindigul, Madurai, Theni, Palakkad (Kerala), Chamraj Nagar (Karnataka)

In 2010, Isha’s mobile health teams treated 3,72,976 out patients in the regular Mobile clinics, an average of 31,081 patients per month and 1,036 per day.

Isha has offered its service in the flood affected regions of Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam

Districts in December 2010.

LINKS OVER THE WEB:

website: www.ishaoutreach.org updates: www.facebook.com/pages/Action-For-Rural-Rejuvenation/219507781407290 presentations: www.slideshare.net/IshaARR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Dr.SANJEEVI AWARD FOR THE YEAR 2009.


Some Analysis:

The percentage of female benefitted by the overall program is 62.1% An interesting trend too is evident while comparing the age distribution of OutPatients

attended between MHCs that operate in Rural versus Urban area. The clinics that operate in predominantly areas like Gobichettipalayam and Rural Salem have 50% of their patient visits belonging to Geriatric Category. In contrast, Urban areas like Chennai and Urban Coimbatore have a very high percentage of Out Patients attended belonging to the working age.

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Chennai MHC 1 8.5%

Chennai MHC 2 6.5%

Coimbatore MHC 1 5.6%



Gobi MHC 1 8.3%

Gobi MHC 2 8.5%

Gobi MHC 3 8.1%

Madurai MHC 8.0%

Salem MHC 1 6.9%

Salem MHC 2 6.1%

Salem MHC 3 11.9%

Salem MHC 4 7.0%

Grand Total 100%

Total Number of Out Patient visits: 3,72,976

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30000Male

Female

Male38%

Female62%

Gender distribution

Gender distribution


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25000Adults

Pediatrics

Geriatrics

Adult46%

Pediatrics14%

Geriatrics40%

Age distribution

The major complaints are pain in joints, generalised body pain, cough and cold. Apart from the medicines given as treatment of these commonly prevailing ailments,

the medical team is teaching the patients- Isha Kriya, a 12 minute simple yogic practice, which promotes health.

Musculo skeletal related

29%

Respiratory17%Circulatory

8%Skin & RTI

8%

Digestive8%

Infections & Infestations

5%

Nutritional5%

Others20%

Disease Pattern

Rural

Urban


How you can participate?

Tribute gift: Express your respect, gratitude, or remembrance with a donation that will help Isha build a better life in rural villages. Celebrate a special anniversary with a gift that improves rural and urban slum dwellers health care.

Volunteer: You can assemble and deliver health care along with the clinics, disseminate health education messages, spending time with the village people and urban slum dwellers, in whichever way you can..

For details:

+91 94425 90016, 25, 58, 85 [email protected] [email protected]

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