Healthy children grow into healthy adults

Improving the health of street children and families living in the slums of Kolkata is a priority in The Hope Foundation’s fight against poverty.

Healthy children who become healthy adults create better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.

Our primary healthcare the goal of our healthcare programme has made significant progress in immunization, water sanitation and ante-natal care, saving the lives of thousands of infants and their mothers.

We have developed strong partnerships with local non-governmental organizations. Every day we bring practical health solutions into communities with our mobile health clinics. The HOPE hospital, supported by WeightWatchers Ireland, takes care of those who have nowhere else to turn providing treatment and care to those in dire need.

The goal of our is to improve the health status of children and families living on the streets and in slums in Kolkata (Calcutta).

There are a number of local partner organisations involved in the Primary Health Programme, which started in 2007 and is funded by Irish Aid (donor body of the Irish Government). The program is active in 34 communities.

The partners are: Hope Kolkata Foundation, HIVe, SEED, and PBKOJP.

Primary Health Programme

  • Ongoing healthcare and emergency healthcare through static and mobile clinics
  • Preventive health support through raising awareness and forming community health groups
  • Construction and maintenance of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities
  • Networking and advocacy building to promote access to public health services.

Our aim is to provide ancillary services to strengthen the existing health services that are provided by the Government of West Bengal.

What are the most common health issues in children?

The most common conditions among 31,397 child patients seen in 2008 were:

  1. Respiratory illnesses
  2. Gastrointestinal problems
  3. Skin diseases

What causes poor health?

Through focus group discussions and baseline surveys, the project first identified the factors contributing to the low health status of these communities, including:

  • Overwhelming poverty and malnourishment
  • The migrant nature of the population
  • High illiteracy rates
  • Unhygienic living conditions and weather changes, which raises vulnerability to sickness
  • Low level of health awareness
  • Poor drug compliances and low levels of immunization.

These factors rendered even pre-existing government services inaccessible to these communities. Their health needs were not being met.

Facts at a glance

  • 34 clinics provide quality health care through diagnosis, treatment and medication
  • 140+ focus groups provide information about other NGO services and Government-run health care facilities
  • Advocacy work by the programme manager, field staff and community healthcare volunteers with other health agencies has lead to a more efficient referral service
  • Refresher training on basic health care is provided to social workers
  • Training provided for community health volunteers on basic hygiene, nutrition, drug compliance, immunization, seasonal illnesses, sexual health and reproductive health
  • Social workers and community volunteers carry out 6,000+home visits and 17,800+ follow-up home visits each year providing antenatal care, immunizations and promoting institutional births, which has enabled many more women to avail of a Government antenatal scheme
  • Social workers and community health groups run 170+ health and disease awareness camps for close to 10,000 participants each year
  • Research has been funded to analyse the educational and health status of the communities in which we operate, to further identify the needs and vulnerabilities in each community.

 

HOPE Hospital

The Hope Foundation, with the support of WeightWatchers Ireland, opened The Hope Hospital in Kolkata in 2008. It provides medical treatment and health services to the most underprivileged children and adults.

People attend our hospital because they cannot afford to pay for medical treatment and need urgent medical attention. Sick children are often referred by our ChildWatch programme.

The hospital is a fully equipped four-floor building with modern facilities. We have a Pathology Unit, a Specialist Out Patients Department, a 30-bed In-Patient Department, Operating Theatre and Recovery Room, Steriliser Room and kitchen and laundry facilities.

The ground floor is used by Hope Kolkata Foundation as a Polyclinic & Diagnostic Center. The clinic has two Paediatric doctors, one General Physician, and one Surgeon and is open to patients in the morning and the evening. 4000+ out patients were treated in 2008. Immunisation camps are organised for children suffering from HIV and AIDS.

Among the hospital’s medical specialties are: paediatrics; cardiology; E&T; orthopaedics, dermatology, gynaecology, pathology, radiology and biochemistry.

Quality care is delivered around the clock by medical, nursing and general staff.

Rehabilitation Centres for Children (RCFC)

Rehabilitation Centres for Children was founded in 1973. Its Polio Hospital is considered one of the best orthopaedic hospital’s for children in the State and is one of HOPE’s partners.

Our mission is to provide surgery and rehabilitation of orthopedically disabled children up to 14 years of age from underprivileged families.

Care includes surgery, physiotherapy, mobility aids, education and pre-vocational training as well as psychosocial rehabilitation.

Approx 1,200 cases are assessed each year, with 200 children being provided with corrective surgery and around 440 children benefiting from physiotherapy.

Immunization is also provided to both inpatients and outpatients through regular immunization programmes.

Sanitation

We provide clean water and safe waste systems

Clean water and effective hygiene facilities help to prevent disease. Our sanitation work includes:

  • Building new tube wells and latrines and maintaining existing facilities.
  • Forming Water and Sanitation Committees in communities, 35 in place to date
  • Improving drinking water facilities. Projects completed in five communities: Khidirpur Jackson Road, Pachpara, Podra, Chetla and Bedford Lane
  • Improving sanitation facilities. Projects completed in five areas: Khidirpur, Khidirpur Jackson Road, Kalighat, Chetla and Chetla Lock Gate.