Update for July month

By Ms. Priyanka Singh - In Charge Health Program, September 05, 2008 04:15 PM

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Seva Mandir, India!

We are grateful to all our donors for continuing their faith in our work and for standing by us. Through this letter I would like to share the update for our Immunization Program, which you have been supporting.

Seva Mandir has been conducting immunization camps since April 2007. In the month of July 66 immunization camps were held against the targeted 68. We had to cancel two camps due to heavy rains that made these two villages inaccessible. 380 children were given immunization shots and 182 expecting mothers received Tetanus shots in these 66 camps.

From July 2008, we have also been training our nurses who conduct immunization to treat simple ailments in children and conduct full Antenatal check up. This has increased the benefits to both mothers and children, in many cases helped over major fatality as in the case given below.

Gavri who is in her mid twenties lives with her husband in village Bilwan Khetra. She got two tetanus shots in Seva Mandir run immunization camp during her fourth pregnancy. In her eighth month of pregnancy she began to experience lower abdominal pains. She consulted the TBA (the traditional birth attendant trained and supported by Seva Mandir) who brought her to the immunization camp where the nurse conducted the Antenatal check up. The Nurse could not hear the heartbeats of the baby and so referred Gavri immediately to a hospital where she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Our model of conducting immunization camps seeks to address both the supply side constraints by ensuring regular supply and also boosting demand through giving incentives to parents. By and large these camps are very successful in benefiting pregnant women and young children yet there are challenges with which we are still grappling. One such is inability to reach out to more children who have not been vaccinated.

Thank you again for your support. For queries and suggestions please do write to me at priyanka.singh@sevamandir.org

With regards,

Sincerely,

Priyanka Singh
In Charge Health Program
Seva Mandir, India

Camps and Challenges

By Ms. Priyanka Singh - In Charge Health Program, July 23, 2008 10:23 PM

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Seva Mandir!

We would like to communicate our heartfelt thanks to all our donors for their continuing support and faith in our work. The immunization by the Government is not adequately reaching to all poor people. In addition, the awareness with regards to immunization for little children is negligible in the communities Seva Mandir works with. Hence holding regular immunization camps within people’s reach becomes imperative.

In the month of June 2008 a total of 68 immunization camps were held. As many as 541 children and 257 expecting mothers were registered for immunization

At this point I would also like to communicate the challenges that we face while running the immunization camps. One of the many challenges is – when the children are given BCG (for tuberculosis) the vaccine creates a boil on the skin and it also gives fever to the child for a few days. Often mothers are afraid of this and so they do not bring their children to the camp next time.

The Nurse in our camps informs the mothers about the boil, fever and the reason behind it. In addition, the nurse gives pills for fever with instructions to the mothers. Also, the Birth Attendants (Trained and supported by Seva Mandir) help in the process by spreading the awareness about immunization and by following up with the mothers whose children are given shots in order to ensure that everything is okay with them and that they bring their children to the camp for next shots. The birth attendants (are the residents of the same village) thus play a significant role in supporting the mothers in this whole process because the community has a lot of faith in them.

We have learnt a lot by theses camps and we hope to build upon our experiences over time.

I would like to thank once again to all our donors, partners and my team for making this program a huge success. Through this program we are reaching out to the least advantaged in our society. I very much hope that you will continue your supporting this program. Thank you.

If you have any questions then please do contact me at priyanka.singh@sevamandir.org

With regards,

Sincerely,

Priyanka Singh
In Charge Health Program
Seva Mandir, India

minor illnesses in little children

By Ms. Priyanka Singh - In Charge Health Program, June 09, 2008 06:34 PM

During holding the immunization camps it was experienced that many little children suffer from various diseases like diarrhea, cold, cough etc. The General Nurse and Midwife (GNM) who are appointed to give vaccinations in Seva Mandir-run immunization camps are skilled caregivers. In order to refresh their skills and to strengthen their capacity for the treatment of diseases like Diarrhea, Bronchitis, Cough and Cold training was organized in March end for these GNMs.


In the last quarter (January to March 2008) over 1200 children and over 600 expecting mothers have been immunized.

Integrating maternal care and Immunization

By Ms. Priyanka Singh - In Charge Health Program, May 15, 2008 10:33 PM

Birth Attendants in the villages have been trained by Seva Mandir to conduct safe and aseptic deliveries. In addition, these attendants also spread awareness about the importance of complete immunization in the village. Read the story to find out how they are of additional help to these expecting mothers and little children...
Attachments:

• Jamna learns the importance of immunization...

Complete Immunization of 1200 children

By Ms. Priyanka Singh - In Charge, March 28, 2008 06:29 PM

In the last quarter from October to December 2007 we have been able to get over 1200 children completely immunized. Over 500 expecting mothers have also been immunized in over 600 immunization camps...

Sauli lives in village Badanga, Rajasthan in India:

Sauli lives with her husband Kamal Lal and two daughters in village Badanga. Kamal has migrated to Udaipur City (22 kms from his village) for wage-labor. Sauli stays at home to look after her daughters and works on her agriculture farm when needed.

Her elder daughter Pushpa is now three years old and Bharti is three months.
In Seva Mandir-run Immunization Camps Bharti has received three shots so far. When the camp started Pushpa’s immunization was incomplete and so Pushpa was given rest of the shots at Seva Mandir-run Camps. Sauli is very happy to be able to get her daughters
immunized because the Government health care facilities are quite far from her village.

Sauli says –“ I come to the Immunization Camps and all my other friends in the village also come to these camps for getting their children immunized. Earlier the Government Nurse used to come to our village. But she was very irregular and her visits were uncertain. I like Seva Mandir Camps. Because the camps
are regular and are held close to our homes.”
Attachments:

• sauli bai Village Badanga.pdf

Kamala is expecting...

By Ms. Priyanka Singh - In charge Health Program, January 28, 2008 05:51 PM

Kamala has witnessed her friend having convulsions. Her friend was not given the Tetanus shots when she was pregnant. The incident imprinted fear on Kamala's mind and so she wanted to stay safe. Kamal has got two shots for tetanus and she is happy....
Attachments:

• Kamala is expecting

Immunization is important

By Ms. Priyanka Singh - In Charge Health Program, January 24, 2008 02:19 PM

Vardi would have to go to the city 35 kms away from her village to get her children immunized. And sometimes it did not take place due to no transporation or rains or so. The Government run Immunization camps are irregular in her village. It is now eaiser for her to get her children immunized in Seva Mandir run immunization camps.
Attachments:

• Vardi getting her child immunized

Immunization

By Priyanka Singh - In Charge - Health Program, December 18, 2007 05:02 PM

The two success stories from the villages where Seva Mandir works...
Read these stories that will fill your heart with joy as it did ours...
Attachments:

• Getting my daughter immunized is easy
• Now I know the importance of Vaccinations