Achievements in 2002

Further to our previous newsletters, we are pleased to announce that on 26th Oct. 2002, We have completed four years and enter into 5th year of being functional and providing services in this region.

As you know the work was initiated with OPD Services on 31st May 1998. Investigation facilities were added in July 1998 and hospital with limited indoor and operating facilities including playroom, children's play area and educational facilities with 24 hour emergency and ambulance services was started on 26th October 1998. Mobile Hospital services were initiated on 29th October 1998 with the starting of our first rural primary health care centre.

In oct. 99 Hospital's investigative, operative and indoor facilities were expanded to include I.C.U., S.C.B.U., Ophthalmic Centre, Education Centre and Multi Speciality equipped operation theatre. Since Nov. 2000, Hospital for Women and Maternity Unit was added providing such services. Since Mobile Hospital unit is providing services through its rural health centres and subcentres. In addition multispeciality medical camps including eye camps are organised every fortnight in slums, rural and remote areas. As you know on 22nd July 2001; 1000th Day was celebrated with opening of Sunrise Intl. School as school for special needs alongwith multispeciality medical camps in the area. On the day we took Mercy home, The orphanage for mentaly disabled children and orphanage for blind girls under our umbrella to provide Health and Education Services to the Children there.

Achievements so far
During this period of these hospitals being functional in spite of many teething troubles and lack of funds, the charity has supported the work to the extent that.
l The Hospitals : 157278 Patients have been benefitted with consultations, investigations operations and treatment facilities inclusive of 56097 in this year, through these hospitals and its associated units. A free OPD is run from 9a.m. to 7p.m. every day manned by specialists in all disciplines. Other facilities are provided for nominal charges, for various laboratory and radiological investigations, operations, hospitalisation, intensive care treatment, dialysis etc. We will like not to refuse any poor person for free treatment, but sometimes hard decisions are taken for lack of funds, though we try to provide maximum within our limited means to all poor, destitute and disabled people in the region. The Hospital provides emergency and ambulance services all 24 Hrs. of the day throughout the year. Gwalior Administration and Police Department has recognised and appreciated the Emergency Services provided by this hospital again free of any charges. We are aiming to develop accidents & emergency (Trauma) Centre with multispecialities team approach and a stroke centre for treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients. Special clinics are run for diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis, leprosy, female health check-up for early detection of cancer etc. etc.

Volunteers
243 volunteer experts from U.K., U.S.A. and U.A.E. have visited and participated in the training of local Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Teachers and Students at the Hospital, its various units, Adhar Public School, Sunrise Intl. school, Mercyhome and with other like minded sister organisations as well provided their services to the community inclusive of 52 in this year. Special names to mention are prof. OM P. Sharma, an eminent authority for chest diseases & Brucellosis from california university U.S.A., Dr. Sehgal Ophthalmologist from New York, Mr. Danny Sheehan Special Need School teacher from Norwich, U.K., Dr. Richard Levin Paediatrician from Glasgow U.K., Dr. Gillian Davies, anaesthetist and Beso Volunteer from London, U.K. and Many many more. This volunteer programme continues throughout the year with ever increasing no. of experts to support this programme.

Medical Camps
405 multispeciality medical camps have been held with special emphasis on health education and prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of various medical problems in these areas like Diabetes, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, Osteoporosis, Night Blindness etc. etc.

Eye Centre
We have worked actively for prevention of blindness and creating awareness for preventable eye disases like xerophthalmia, trachoma, night blindness etc. This Hospital has been recognised by the society for the prevention of blindness in INDIA for its work. This Centre has been providing services with eye check-up, advise, treatment and operations under guidance of Prof. B. Shukla, President of All India Ophthalmic society as our Hon. Director and our ophthalmologist Dr. Rohini Marathe. So far 6524 persons with blindness and eye problems have been provided services through this centre including 309 IOL operations giving sight to these people. 26 eye camps were organised within hospital campus as well in slums and rural areas aiming for prevention of blindness and saving sight. We are obliged for grant of Rs. 60,000 (£800) by Helpage India towards part of expenses for 100 IOL operations. This was completed on 26th Feb. much before the target date of 31st March 2002 due to dedication and hard work of Dr. Rohini Marathe with dedicated team and guidance by Prof. Shukla. We have requested Helpage India and Sight Savers of India for funds to help us for continuing this work.We also plan to develop an eye Bank at this centre to add on much needed facilities in this area.

Vaccination, malnutrition etc.
We continue to work actively in prevention of Polio, Measles, Hepatitis B, Meningitis etc. with vaccinations programme.We have been working to create health awareness to improve upon hygiene, sanitation as well prevention of malnutrition, other preventable infections and early diagnosis of common ailments throughout. Speciality camps are organised regularly in slums and rural areas and special clinics are run at the hospital for the purpose. We have organisd special counselling, physiotherapy clinics and camps too to help disabled children.

Slums and Rural Development Work
All services including supply of medicines in slums, rural and remote areas are provided absolutely free of charges through our Rural Health centeres, subcentres and frequently organised specialists medical camps with support of local sponsors and like minded sister organisations, like MPCT, Sambhav Rotary club etc. Unfortunately we have been delayed to start Rural Health Centre at village Milawali due to unforeseen problems & circumstances. However we initiated regular health education programme in slums & rural areas with the help of health educators, social workers targetting for hygiene, sanitation, prevention and early diagnosis with repeated regular visits in these areas.

Schools & Orphanages
981 children in various orphanages and schools in slum areas, schools for blind, deaf & dumb children, Roshani, the for school spastic children, Mercyhome (The orphanage for Mentaly Disabled Children), The Orphange for Blind Girls, Orphanage for homeless girls, Seva Bharati's School for poor Tribal Children at Kedarpur etc.
Adhar Public School and Sunrise Intl. School, The School for Special needs with main stream school are progressing and providing education to 156 children now. We need special needs teachers to facilitate this work. One has to visit and see personaly to realise the real change in these schools and orphanages since having been adopted and being provided support for their living conditions, education and health care due to dedication and continued efforts and hard work of our volunteers in India and from U.K.

Fund Raising
Our colleagues, volunteers and supporters continue to help us in fund raising by various means organising various activities. Special names to mention are Dr. Margaret Garman, Ms. Caroline o'shaughunassy, Ms. Lesley Baynton, Mr. G.S. Tamber and many more.

First volunteers day with lottery draw was celebrated on 8th June 2002 at walsall. The prize draw was held in presence of Shri J. S. Sapra, Consul General of India in U.K. and The Rev. John Bradley, our patron. Six volunteers (Dr. Anwar-Ul-Haq, Dr. Ann-Whitfield, Dr. Margaret Garman,
Mrs. Lynda Mc Shane, Ms. Amanda Nelson and Mrs. Patricia Hicks) were awarded with certificates of honour at the hands of the Rev. John Bradley and Mr. Sapra. Rev. Bradley initiated his appeal for the orphanage and Dr. Sharma again appealed for volunteering work for creating awareness, fund raising and provide their services to the community at Gwalior in India. It was decided to hold volunteers day with Lottery draw to raise funds every year, next year being celebrated at Norwich on 23rd June 2003.

Mrs. Lynda Mc Shane, Dr. Anwar-Ul-Haq and Miss Bonny Squire were honoured by Walsall volunteering bureau recognising the efforts and hard work by these volunteers for this cause. Dr. B. K. Sharma, founder of these charities has been awarded honour of the year award by walsall advertiser and Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Colin Beilby recognising his initiative, efforts and all the work carried out by these charities to help & provide for poor, disabled and destitute children of Gwalior and Chambal Region.

We need to continue with such fund raising activities more frequently to achieve our targets with involvement of more volunteers.We very much need funds to maintain and continue present services (£5000 p.m.) as well as expand to include the above (£500 k).

We are extremely grateful to all our supporters (both here in the UK and in India), our volunteers and all the donors towards helping us to achieve, what has already been achieved. We hope for your continued support and commitment to continue with this work. We look for your extended help and support to complete the unfinished work and expand these facilities.