Arunachal Pradesh
Primary Health Care
Karuna Trust started the PPP model with one PHC in Arunachal Pradesh in the year 2005 with Kurung Kumey and gradually expanded to 13 PHCs. Karuna Trust initiated the PPP model with an aim of improving health and well-being of the people by providing a comprehensive and high-quality care for all those who are in need, regardless of their economic and social status, apart from this KT’s primary objective is to strengthen the Public Health care system in North-East and delivery health care to the unreached population.
HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING
Secondary Health Care
The Vivekananda Hospital at Tezu, located in the Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh was established with an aim to provide secondary health care for the rural masses. The hospital was formally inaugurated by Dr Mohesh Chai, Hon’ble Minister of Arunachal Pradesh state Govt on 27th Jan 2017 in the presence of Deputy commissioner of Lohit District officials and community leaders.
The Vivekananda Hospital evolved with the initiatives of Karuna Trust, supported by Bengt& Eva Wahlqvist and Jan &BirgittaOpsahl from Switzerland for the construction and setting up of equipment for the hospital. The human settlement in the area is semi-urban where the urban population of the area has access to the Government Hospital, However, to cater to rural masses, to whom the services were not only difficult to access, but also lacked in quality and specialist services, the hospital at Tezu was established. The hospital is a 16 bedded facility, well-equipped with delivery (labour) room, a dental unit, Eye care unit and is supported by a well-equipped laboratory.
The strategic objective of establishing the hospital is to provide quality clinical and preventive health services to the people. The health centre has been providing the following services:
- OPD & IPD services
- Minor OT
- Dental Care
- Eye Care
- Laboratory and radiographic diagnostics
- 24 hours’ essential obstetric facility which can cover both normal and C-section delivery
- 24 hours’ availability of doctors and Para-medical staff
- Weekly, Regular social service is conducted in the hospital by the staff
- Regular House visit by hospital nurses
- Awareness camps and programs are being conducted regularly in the villages and schools.
Projects
JSI – M-rite
(Momentum Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity)
Arunachal Pradesh faces several challenges in delivering healthcare services, which includes difficult terrain, communication barriers, far flung and scattered villages. Majority of the population resides in rural areas with the poverty rate being 34.67%. Considering the situation JSI research and training institute along with Karuna Trust came up with a project called M-rite to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
Principal activities
- Continuous awareness sessions and campaigns were conducted to enhance COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization coverage along with orientation sessions involving various stakeholders.
- The project established collaboration with community representatives, including religious leaders, public leaders, student unions, colleges, and schools, to facilitate the spread of awareness.
- Micro-plans were developed in consultation with government health officials, and comprehensive support was provided to ensure their effective implementation.
- Vaccination camps and sessions were set up in hard-to-reach areas, and IEC materials were utilized.
The use of audio-visual methods, helped increase awareness among the population.
Innovative Initiatives/strategies
- “Har School Daastak” campaign, which combined awareness and vaccination, drives in schools across 10 districts.
- Establishing vaccination sites in remote and inaccessible area and organising outreach programs to reach underserved populations.
- The project actively addressed misconceptions and myths about vaccines through Interpersonal Communication (IPC), household visits, community awareness programs, and the involvement of influential individuals within local communities.
- Awareness cum vaccination camps was set up in villages with the support of volunteers, improving access to vaccinations.
Effective practices;
- Involving actively volunteering ASHA workers
- he project used important occasions, events and as opportunities to conduct awareness sessions, effectively reaching a larger audience.
- Special attention was given to migratory populations and daily wage workers ensuring their awareness, and facilitating their access to avail vaccinations.
- Regular community meetings and counselling sessions to increased acceptance and participation.
- Project expanded its awareness campaigns beyond schools to includecolleges, markets, and churches, thereby broadening the reach of their initiatives.
- Orientation and training programs were provided to staff members
- Har School Daastak: Awareness cum Vaccination drive conducted across schools across 10 districts
- JHPIEGO – Strengthening Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) for provision of quality Intrapartum care in Tirap, changlang, and longding (TCL) districts
During the period from April 2022 to March 2023, Karuna Trust, JHPIEGO, and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, in collaboration with USAID-NISHTHA, worked together under the Strengthening Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) initiative. The main goal of the project was to enhance the quality of intrapartum services in Tirap, Changlang, and Longding (TCL) Districts.
Principal Activities Undertaken:
- A facility assessment questionnaire was designed by JHPIEGO with inputs from Karuna Trust.
- All personnel involved were trained by the JHPIEGO team on assessment tools.
- A session on gaps in Infrastructure, human resources, and equipment to Secretary of Health, the state government has provided necessary equipment to the selected districts.
- The project team conducted training programs like BEMOC, Dakshata, SBA, and ANMOL. The training needs were identified through a gap analysis and continuous coordination was maintained with the State Nodal Officer.
- Community engagement was conducted facility visits to assess the status of maternal services at the ground level, identifying gaps and challenges faced by the local population in accessing these services.
Major milestone Accomplished:
- The Bijoypur SC-HWC, Sanlium SC-HWC, and Lawnu PHC were identified as high-home delivery pockets among others.
- Constant communication with the district officials was maintained.
- Volunteers from each village covered by these facilities were selected to educate the community about maternal healthcare and promote institutional delivery.
- The project provided necessary equipment and SBA training, as a result, there has been a significant improvement in service delivery.
- Bijoypur SC-HWC went from zero institutional deliveries in April 2022 to 26 in March2023. Sanlium SC-HWC and Lawnu PHC, which were not delivery sites initially, have now conducted 2 and 1 institutional deliveries respectively as of March 2023.
SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH
Energy & Environment
Solar Energy Implementation:
Karuna Trust has installed solar panels to power all Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and selected sub centers in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Data loggers have been procured and utilized to monitor data at various sites, aiding in energy audits.
- The protocol and process for Combined Health and Energy Audits have been developed.
- Solar energy initiatives have been extended to 12 additional health centers throughout Arunachal Pradesh
Extended Community Health Outreach Program (ECHO)
In association with ECHO, a medical education-integrated training through virtual-clinic and online sessions for ANM, ASHA workers and PHC management staff. Knowledge-transfer sessions by specialists and best practises to boost workspace productivity are conducted.
Training programs being conducted:
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Program
- Community health worker training Program – For ASHAs and ANMs
- PHC Management training Program
- Specialist Training Sessions- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dental