Odisadairy, 18th March, 2009
Lanjigarh: Vedanta Mobile Health Units in Lanjigarh, District Kalahandi, Orissa, bringing medical facilities to the doors of villagers. Villages like Fphldmer, Khemdipadar, Trilochanpura and Palberi, where the Dongria Kondh and Kutia tribe people live are covered extensively.
Tudu Majhi, a villager of Khemtipadar Village of Lanjigarh, district Kalahandi, cannot stop smiling the time he saw Mobile Health Unit introduced by Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. in Lanjigarh. Not many days ago, the villages were lacking basic medical facilities. Quacks and Ojhas were the local doctors for villagers who used to exploit them for petty benefits. Their existence had become more prominent because there were no roads or transport and the villages were practically disconnected from the city. They did not have money to buy the medicines as well and this made them more vulnerable to quacks & Ojhas. The patient was recommended to Lanjigarh Hospital only incase of severe emergency. There were no remedies for any critical emergency and often resulted in death of patients. Tudu Majhi narrated this story of sorrows and tears. He was comparing the change in the last more than one year.
Tudu Majhi smiled again, “We have changed today.. Conditions have changed today. .the Quacks and Ojhas have no place in Lanjigarh”. Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. has started its community development programmes in the villages and started providing health and medical facilities in villages. Mobile Health Vans started visiting in remote villages and people have started getting medical attention right on their door step. The doctor along with 2 pharmacists moves in villages and provides free medicines. To ensure proper care, the Mobile Health Van visits once in a week to each village in Lanjigarh. Villages like Fphldmer, Khemdipadar, Trilochanpura and Palberi, where the Dongria Kondh and Kutia tribe people live are covered extensively.
For regular checkups as well, Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. has been organizing regular health and hygiene camps in Lanjigarh. The villagers also belonging to Dongria Kondh tribe visit these camps for vaccination, pulse-polio, anti-natal check-ups, infectious diseases etc. Tunna Panigrahi, the Pharmacist of Government Hospital of Lanjigarh said, ‘Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. is coordinating with Government for various health programmes”.
In the year 2007-08 itself more than 26,000 patients have been treated by Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. using Mobile Health Vans. Besides, the Company has also been providing ambulance facility to Biswanathpur or Bissamcuttack Hospital, in case of emergency.
The heath consciousness and awareness have made the villagers visit and participate regularly in these health camps and get their check-up done free of cost. This initiative of Vedanta Resources group, under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative has brought down the number of fatalities and cured many diseases that were understood to be non-curable.
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