Aarogya Rath (Mobile Health Unit):

Aarogya Rath is an initiative that focuses on improving the health status of the targeted underprivileged populations. The mobile health unit provides free healthcare services and medicines to the populations living in remote, inaccessible, un-served and underserved areas at their doorsteps. 

Vestige Heart to Heart’s Aarogya Rath project is being conducted in phases. Until now, the project has covered more than 30,000 beneficiaries across 76 villages in Rajasthan (Bharatpur, Dholpur, Rajakhera). 

Timeline - 2 years.

The Aarogya Rath programme’s objectives are given below:

• To increase the access to primary preventive and curative healthcare services among the target beneficiaries.

• To raise awareness on basic healthcare and hygiene among the communities and develop positive health-seeking behaviour among them.

• To create and capacitate the cadre of community health workers for sustainable health outcomes. 

The range of services includes a physical examination, general & specialised health camps, health awareness programmes, and referral cases, treatment for common ailments like fever, cold, cough, etc; basic ENT and ophthalmic check-ups, treatment of minor ailments, including skin diseases, dressing and suturing of wounds, identification and referral of complicated cases requiring facility-based management, early detection of malaria, dengue, typhoid, etc. 

The Aarogya Rath MHU has the following instruments and devices to treat patients. 

1. HIV Card

2. HBS AG Card

3. Haemoglobin Metre

4. HCV Card

5. Blood Group Kit

6. Malaria Test Kit

7. Pregnancy Test Card

8. Dengue Kit

9. Blood Sugar Metre

10. ENT Kit

11. Nebulizer

12. Weighing Machine

13. Portable X-Ray View Book Test

14. Audio Visual sessions Facility

15. IEC Material

16. Ambu Bags

Through the Aarogya Rath MHU, Vestige Heart To Heart Foundation also delivers a viable platform for access to preventive care to the community by developing a health-seeking behaviour in the target population. Attempts are taken to expand the scope of the project by linkages with various healthcare schemes of the government.

The activities undertaken by the Aarogya Rath MHU are:

• Community engagement and awareness: The empowerment initiative endeavours to augment voluntary participation to ensure ownership and sustainability of the activities and structures created.

• Healthcare committees: With a ten-member committee in each village to oversee the activities and to manage and maintain the MHU movement, the activities become seamless and people get better services.

• Behaviour change communication: This programme targets counselling the villagers on personal hygiene, proper nutrition and other disease prevention activities, prevention of pre-natal diagnostic tests, etc. This is also imperative as the COVID-19 pandemic looms large as a major health threat to communities.

• Training and capacity building: A two-month-long training to equip the staff with basic healthcare and hygiene routines. Training on basic first aid, on sharing experiences, some dos and don’ts, biomedical waste disposal, effective communication and basic lifesaving techniques.

• Organising health camps: Through general camps, free health check-ups, information, education and communication materials, pamphlets, wallpapers, etc., are distributed. Each patient is issued a medical card. Medicines, Vestige’s nutraceuticals, health supplements and hygiene products are provided to the people free of cost. Specialised camps like paediatric camps for children, gynaecology camps for women, ENT camps, orthopaedic camps, etc., are also organised.

• Health awareness programmes: To ensure a robust preventive healthcare system is developed by making people aware of the risks and threats, awareness programmes are undertaken regularly. Awareness is created regarding children’s mental health, safe drinking water, sanitation and cleanliness, personal hygienic living conditions, malaria, dengue, malnutrition, anaemia, AIDS, family planning, etc.

• Engaging Anganwadi and ASHA workers: Training sessions for Anganwadi and ASHA workers to enhance their understanding of the MHU and related services.

• These activities of Aarogya Rath MHU have been appreciated by the villagers and the local government, and the district administrations of Dholpur and Bharatpur have issued an appreciation certificate to Vestige Heart to Heart Foundation for this initiative. 

A pan-India blood donation programme

Vestige Heart to HeaRT Foundation conducts a pan-India blood donation programme every year. The programme creates awareness, clears doubts and motivates people to donate blood and save lives. IEC materials, which include pamphlets, posters containing information about blood donation, are distributed among the people and BCC sessions are conducted. Till now, Vestige Heart to Heart Foundation has collected more than 4,249 units of blood, saved more than 12,747 lives and the programme has been conducted in 83 locations all over India. 

Transforming society

Mariyalaya and Aarambh

In partnership with Miracle Foundation India, Vestige Heart to Heart Foundation is engaged in the noble task of transforming the lives of underprivileged children and orphans in two children’s home for years – Mariyalaya and Aarambh. In these two homes, Vestige Heart to Heart Foundation takes care of the children’s health and education to ensure their holistic development.

Mariyalaya

Mariyalaya takes care of the education, nutrition and overall growth of girl children. With life skills education (LSE), girls are prepared to face the challenges of life and become robust human beings. Proper nutrition is provided with three meals a day along with milk and snacks to ensure optimum haemoglobin level is maintained and the children grow up under the close watch of paediatricians and experts of the Child Care Institute (CCI).

Aarambh

At Aarambh, boys up to the age of 18 are housed. Vestige Heart to Heart Foundation assists Miracle Foundation with proper nutrition and education programmes for the children. Children are also provided with vocational training and computer education. Attempts are taken to reunite those children with their families who have to live in the house due to some issues with their families. LSE is also conducted in Aarambh to help the children’s holistic growth.

In both Aarambh and Mariyalaya, attempts are taken by Miracle Foundation’s CCI to ensure that the children are well trained in maintaining hygiene and cleanliness. The career path for these children is planned according to their skills and strengths. Vestige Heart to Heart Foundation and Miracle Foundation ensure that no child in these houses is left behind and gets the best of nutrition for proper physical growth and the best education for overall development.