Introduction:
A significant problem faced by rural communities is difficulty in accessing hospitals during emergences. In many instances, absence of timely and quality medical support has proved to be fatal. Ambulance services were started by the Foundation to help in such emergencies.

The ambulance service was introduced in Rajam in 2003 and later started at Rajahmundry and Uttrakhand as well.

Objectives:
The main objective is that no sick person in identified GMRVF working areas should suffer for lack of emergency transport facilities.

Process:
The ambulance is meant for the poor community members who cannot afford to transport the patient from one Government Hospital to another. The request for the ambulance is based on the recommendation of the Doctor - for meeting an emergency or for better treatment facilities. It also caters to the general public in times of emergencies.

The area of operation of the ambulance is limited, geographically, to the region where GMR Group has its presence in terms of its businesses. The local Administrative Head of the Community Service Wing or his designate is in charge for the ambulance service.

The vehicle is made available at any time round the clock. Ambulance is generally used for emergency cases where the patient is required to be moved to a hospital without any loss of time like Heart attack, Accident cases (with prior information to Police OR with Police escort), gynecological cases etc. Each ambulance caters to 30-40 calls on an average per month.

Achievement/ strengths:

• The timely availability of a facility like ambulance service to take a person to a healthcare establishment makes the difference between life and death. There has been a steady increase in the number of people using the ambulance services.
• People’s participation at Uttarakhand in coordinating the functioning of the ambulance is very encouraging for the Foundation. Here the ambulance is also used to take people to health camps organized in other far away villages.

Introduction:
The idea behind the MMU programme is essentially to reach out to the older people – especially from poor families – and provide them regular medical support. The programme was conceived based on the experience of problems faced by elderly people in the villages. This is one category which requires active medical support compared to other age groups. However, unfortunately, elderly people face a lot of difficulties in accessing medical help due to reasons like lack of economic means, inability to approach private clinics, lack of physical mobility etc.

Through MMU initiative, the Foundation addresses these issues. The MMU programme enables older persons to play an active role in maintaining and improving their own health and encouraging others to follow the same.

The MMUs are run in collaboration with Help Age India at three places. At Rajam, Hyderabad and Rajahmundary

Objectives:
To provide basic medical support to elderly people from disadvantaged families by delivering heath care to their door steps.

Process:
MMUs provide free check-ups and medicine to 60+ age group. They also attend to lower age groups in case of emergencies or if mobility of the patient is a problem. Each MMU is a van equipped with basic facilities and has a doctor, pharmacist, project representative from Help Age, medicines and common medical equipments.

The three MMUs are reaching out to 103 villages. There are nodal points at each location. The van visits each nodal point once in a week. The major ailments dealt with are Osteoarthritis, Hyper tension, Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease and Dyspepsia. In addition specific and general medical camps are also organized by the MMUs.

Achievement/ strengths:

• MMUs not only provide health facilities to the old, but also conduct medical camps which benefits all age groups
• Good relationships have been developed with many Referral Hospitals for providing qualitative health services to the poor at low cost
• Community members, especially youth are coming forward to assist in the working of the MMU

Introduction:
Awareness and consciousness about issues like personal hygiene, sanitation, nutrition etc. could go a long way to improving the overall health status of the communities. It was with this thinking that the concept of ‘Health Week’ was started in Rajam in 2005-06. The activities ranged from health rallies, health check ups, Kalajatha, puppet shows and dialogue with the communities. Following the success, the health weeks were organised in other villages as well.

Apart from health weeks, various health awareness sessions, health camps, health rallies, skits are also conducted regularly at various locations for different age groups.

Objectives:

• To create awareness amongst children and community towards health, personal hygiene and sanitation
• To inculcate the importance of health in the minds of community members, especially children

Process:
The Foundation circulates information about the health awareness sessions, camps etc. to be held in the various schools and other places.

These sessions and camps are held in coordination with the community members, keeping in mind their convenience and time constraints. This helps maximum number of people to be able to benefit from these activities.

Follow up is done for people identified with serious ailments. Such patients are given treatment at medical camps if possible or referred to referral hospitals to provide them qualitative treatment at low cost. The Foundation provides all assistance possible to facilitate affordable treatment for these patients at other hospitals and institutes.

Several health weeks have been held at Rajam, which include a series of activities spread over a period of time.

Many general and specific health awareness camps with focus on diseases like Dengue and Chickengunya, eye, ear, dental problems, HIV/AIDS and basic health care have been organized at Hyderabad, Rajahmundary, Bangalore, Delhi and Mangalore.

Achievement/ strengths:

• There has been regular involvement of district health and education departments in the programmes
• During health weeks and camps, medicines are received from local PHCs, this helps in encouraging participation of other stakeholders as well
• Under health weeks various other activities such as village cleaning, tree plantation etc. are also taken up
• Serious health cases identified are adequately followed-up

Introduction:
The survey of villages in Thannir Bavi and Rajam revealed that many villages do not have access to health clinics or hospitals. People had practically no means to seek medical assistance except travelling to far away towns. However, the poor economic conditions coupled with inadequate awareness on health care often prevented villagers from going out of their village to seek medical treatment in time. In many situations, this has proved to be fatal. Considering this, the plan to set up health clinics and organise health check-ups evolved.

Objectives: To ensure medical support to the needy where there is no alternative access to health care support.

Process: The Foundation initiates health clinics in areas where the health facilities are far away and there is unavailability of qualified doctors. Clinics are generally weekly. Health clinics at present are being run at Hyderabad, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Mangalore.

Achievement/ strengths:

• The key principles guiding these initiatives are utilisation of local resources and sustainability. For this clinics are also taking up initiatives like partnership with medical colleges and hospitals.
• Such partnerships also help to provide referral services for patients who need further treatment.

Introduction:
HIV/AIDS spread is rampant and one major reason for this is the lack of awareness amongst the people about HIV/AIDS - particularly the means of transmission. To stem the spread of HIV/AIDS, one important measure is to enhance awareness levels of public in general and of high risk category people in particular.

The HIV/AIDS awareness programmes were initiated in Mangalore in November 2002. Later on, in September 2006 the programme was launched in Rajam. Today AIDS awareness programmes are being held at all locations, and have become an important part of all new activities being planned by the Foundation.

Objectives:

• Creating awareness about HIV/AIDS among different age groups, especially the target population.
• To encourage community members, especially women and adolescents to come forward and discuss issues related to HIV/AIDS without feeling inhibited and shy. To help erase the misconceptions about AIDS among them.
• To give information about existing VCCTCs and ICTCs to the public.
• To create awareness on STDs, STIs and RTIs amongst the target population.
• To create awareness among health workers on HIV/AIDS.

Process:
The various AIDS awareness weeks and awareness sessions try to reach out to different age groups through different mediums. These groups include – adult women and men, adolescents and youth, high school children, middle level government officers and NGO representatives. The medium is chosen depending on the group to be catered to.

The different methods used range from competitions, rallies, skits, street plays, and candle light marches to quizzes and community meetings. Various government agencies and stakeholders also support these initiatives.

Achievement/ strengths:

• Various awareness camps are being organized for specific target groups, for instance students of various GMRVF Entrepreneurship Development Institutes, youth groups, SHGs, women and adolescents.
• Trainings on income generation programme for the HIV/AIDS affected people are organized.
• Training programmes for creating awareness about HIV/AIDS are conducted for Bala Badi instructors and Vidya Volunteers.
• AIDS weeks have resulted in increase in sale of condoms at various villages. It has also resulted in community members, especially, pregnant women and other adults from the villages contacting the local VCCTC for HIV tests.