Blogs

Healthier times ahead – AMRIT Clinic reaches the hilly terrains of Kherwada block

6 June’18 was a historic day for the villagers of Kojawada Panchayat. Basic HealthCare Services in partnership with Seva Mandir, an Udaipur-based organisation inaugurated the ‘Seva Mandir AMRIT Clinic’ replacing Seva Mandir’s earlier health facility -Apno swasthya kendra. The AMRIT Clinic was inaugurated with full vigour and spirit with members of community sharing their hopes … Continue reading Healthier times ahead – AMRIT Clinic reaches the hilly terrains of Kherwada block

End TB: Patient-Centric Care is essential

Girja* is a 16 year old cheerful girl from a remote hamlet in Southern Rajasthan. I met her during one of the monthly gatherings for Tuberculosis patients and their families at Amrit Clinic.** She immediately stood out among the group of young and middle-aged men. She later told me about her journey with the all-consuming … Continue reading End TB: Patient-Centric Care is essential

Universal Health Coverage: Building a responsive primary healthcare (Learnings from BHS’ experience)

Mangra fala is a small hamlet located in a corner of Dungarpur district in South Rajasthan. The hamlet with 40 households is surrounded by lofty hills and disconnected from the pakka roads due to a perennial stream running by the village. The impenetrable topography is further distressed by poor availability of any facility in the … Continue reading Universal Health Coverage: Building a responsive primary healthcare (Learnings from BHS’ experience)

Beyond the pathology of a disease: Tuberculosis and the clarion call for a patient-centric approach

On the occassion of World TB Day, a peek into how tuberculosis creates shock waves afflicting the health and socio-economic well-being of a patient. The article explores solutions that has its roots centered around the patient. It explores at a micro-level, how patient-centric approach can contribute a long way in fighting the disease

An inspiration reaffirming the spirit of Women’s Day – Dr Vinaya Pendse

An inspiration reaffirming the spirit of Women’s Day – Dr Vinaya Pendse 8th of March’18 was unusually beautiful. During the morning ride to the field, the office car halted in front a sober-looking house from which a neatly dressed up lady in her 80s, walked out and stepped inside. A few minutes later, she is … Continue reading An inspiration reaffirming the spirit of Women’s Day – Dr Vinaya Pendse

Another AMRIT Clinic reaches the underserved population!

Basic HealthCare Services (BHS), in collaboration with Aajeevika Bureau (AB) opened yet another AMRIT Clinic at a remote, rural and tribal panchayat of Morwal in Gogunda tehsil of Udaipur district. With this, BHS footprint has expanded to cover almost 75000 rural, tribal and high migration communities of South Rajasthan. For last five years, AMRIT clinics … Continue reading Another AMRIT Clinic reaches the underserved population!

AMRIT Reaching the Last-mile Communities

”AMRIT clinic is a blessing – to me, and every member of my family.” In today’s India, people living in the most remote, rural areas continue to struggle to access high-quality healthcare. The lack of quality infrastructure, difficult terrain, inaccessible roads, and scattered households, often mean that whole communities are left out of the public … Continue reading AMRIT Reaching the Last-mile Communities

Primary Healthcare and Phulwaris saving lives

“Our daughter is alive today only because of the care she received.” Under nutrition is probably the most wide-spread problem in Southern Rajasthan, and one of the major contributers of morbidity and mortality among the population. Phulwaris (Crèches )  were set-up in the communities to address malnutrition in children under 5 years, an age when … Continue reading Primary Healthcare and Phulwaris saving lives

Labour-Migrants: excluded from Universal Health Care in India

By Dr Pavitra Mohan, Secretary Basic Health Care Services & Director, Health Services, Aajeevika Bureau “India is the only country trying to become a global economic power with an uneducated and unhealthy labour force” – Amartya Sen Following Universal Health Coverage Day, we reflect upon the state of affordable quality health care for every person, … Continue reading Labour-Migrants: excluded from Universal Health Care in India

Battling Childhood Malnutrition in Rajasthani villages

The beautiful countryside of Southern Rajasthan belies a well-kept secret: over half of the adult and child population is malnourished. In the areas where Basic Health Services provides AMRIT health clinics offering high-quality, low-cost healthcare, child malnutrition is a problem of epic proportions. In our study of Salumbar block of Udaipur district, every two in … Continue reading Battling Childhood Malnutrition in Rajasthani villages

Skilling and Supporting Nurses will help India achieve Sustainable Development Goals in health

Lasiyo, 2 year old child, lives in Khajuri- a remote, sparsely populated and poorly connected tribal hamlet. In the morning of a day in early September 2016, his mother noticed that Lasiyo was having high grade fever. Shehad never been to the nearby town alone while his father who works in Ahmedabad as a labourer … Continue reading Skilling and Supporting Nurses will help India achieve Sustainable Development Goals in health

Romi, Ramila and Florence Nightingale

Photo of Romi and Ramila

12 May is celebrated worldwide as International Nurses Day to mark the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. On this occassion, NDTV published our blog on the inspiring story of two of our Primary Health care nurses who are serving in the remote, tribal hamlets where AMRIT Clinics are located. Click the link below to read … Continue reading Romi, Ramila and Florence Nightingale

Announcing New Fellowship in Primary Healthcare Practice and Policy

Image of health outreach worker

Academy of Family Physicians of India (AFPI) and Basic Health Care Services (BHS) announce the first Fellowship in Primary Healthcare Practice and Policy with the goal of nurturing select Family physicians who have the potential to become social entrepreneurs and / or leaders in the area of primary healthcare and family practice. We are looking … Continue reading Announcing New Fellowship in Primary Healthcare Practice and Policy

Working on Solutions to India’s Maternal Care Crisis

Yesterday Forbes published a great article about challenges and solutions to India’s maternal health care crisis, which draws heavily from our insights over last three years. Dr. Pavitra Mohan, CEO at Amrit Clinics, an initiative started between Aajeevika Bureau (AB) and Basic HealthCare Services (BHS) to provide primary healthcare to tribal, migrant communities in rural Rajasthan, talks at length about why women … Continue reading Working on Solutions to India’s Maternal Care Crisis

Why is primary health care the best approach for future of health care in India?

Many people in India, especially the poor, face the problem of seeking effective health care at a cost they can afford, and at a distance they can travel, and with a dignity that they deserve. They make compromises depending on the situation: either with cost, or quality, or dignity. In many cases, families shop for … Continue reading Why is primary health care the best approach for future of health care in India?

Children, like flowers, bloom with care. Many languish without care.

Children at the creche

Kalia Phala is a remote hamlet in Manpur village, about 100 kilometers south of Udaipur city. Small landholdings and dependence on rains force many young men to migrate to Ahmedabad and other cities in Gujarat for their livelihoods. Since most are poorly educated, they engage in manual, unskilled work. They migrate alone, leaving their wives, … Continue reading Children, like flowers, bloom with care. Many languish without care.