Health - scores of the year

AREDS has structured its multi-prolonged health policies and planned its programmes and activities to meet the challenges of the times. The ´Triple H´ team created by AREDS has evolved a programme of action involving emergency health service, ANC care, immunization to children under five, promoting alternative health systems such as herbal medicine, tackling the learning problems faced by children in the age group of 5-8 years, conducting health awareness education programmes and health camps for the rural poor.

Achievements, though arduous the journey
Reaping rich dividends
Educate - the Slogan
Dispel Darkness - the Amen
Strive we hand in hand

The Saga of AREDS Health Programme:
The infant I nurtured is now a young adult. This is true literally and figuratively. The now teenaged lass was my initiator into the now "just out of teens" AREDS. In 1982 a bonny baby was brought to me for routine immunization. She was their first-born and her parents were deeply worried about her "Not Eating." In reality it was a question of the infant asserting here right to choice, and the misguided parents were over-anxious to feed the baby with inappropriate food, which they thought was fit to be given.

The Need was - to dispel unwarranted fears and instill Confidence and educate the parents not only on type of food and methodology using natural resources but also guiding them to allow the infant reasonable freedom of choice regarding timing etc. Medication was not the need. This infant opened the portals of AREDS to me. Christy and L.A. Samy are her parents. The relationship between her parents and me who attended on the child soon became one of mutual friendship, love and trust.

Several months later, Samy asked me whether I would take “classes" for the staff of AREDS. The long journey on a sunny day along a pot-holed road was compensated by the lush verdant countryside along the banks of Cauvery and its canals. The members of staff of AREDS were attentive but looked weary. This initial "class" slowly became an enjoyable panel discussion. The teacher -I- became the taught. I learnt about the surrounding villages, their lack of basic amenities, overwhelming superstitions and detrimental traditions. The gullibility of the simple, innocent populace was tangible. Somewhere along the line I did give them some insights into care of the umbilical cord and the immunization schedule.

None of us realised immediately that this Tryst would lead us to a long saga- The Saga of AREDS Health Programme.

The receptiveness and enthusiasm of the then staff on that important day helped me to make a resolve to dispel darkness. Community Pediatrics is one of my favourite sub-specialities. My thanks to L.A. Samy who shared my view that an ongoing Programme for Health was the Need of the Day.

Thus was born the Concept of AREDS Health Programme with Multipronged Strategy towards Holistic Health - Protection Prevention and Curative Measures.

Our Motto: Promote - Protect - Prevent
At AREDS the very theme is Education and Development. For Development, overall good health is a prerequisite. More than half of India's populace live in the rural areas which are lacking in Basic Amenities viz. drinking water, health care etc. Ignorance and Economic Restraints create an ideal environment for ill health. Most of this is preventable. With this in mind our Multipronged Strategy was initiated.

Our Approach: PROTECT PREVENT PROMOTE
Our Cornerstone: Dispel Ignorance
At all levels of Programme our Village Health Workers (VHW) are the pillars and mainstay. They have had intensive training - in the field and the classroom. They are chosen from within the villages, they reside there and are in contact with the populace almost everyday. This is one of the reasons for our success. They have been very enterprising and have increased in stature over the years. Since the very inception of the Programme I am in regular contact with the populace as well as the Team. I meet them at least one day every week, at times for two days a week. I also try to be present during the school and cultural programme. There was of course a lull in our activities between 1989 to 1996. This is because of a short-lived confusion of ideas. The Original Core group of Village Health Workers was shuffled. The seniors - since they had more training and experience, perforce had to be involved more with the General Women's Movement. Their multifaceted tasks did not allow them much time to be devoted to the original concept of health care. So there was stagnation. This was the period of "frustation, tears and fears.” But once again perseverance paid off. I must thank Christy and Samy and Sagayam for listening, understanding and then allowing me the freedom to rectify the problems. Once again from 1993 onwards a New Core group was slowly rebuilt. I am proud to say that this group's foundation is much firmer and their commitment stroger. Their initiative fervour is very strong. This is when the Team was christened Triple 'H' Team - (Harbingers of Holistic Health)