SEARCH
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Mission Statement
Vision: SEARCH's vision is 'Aarogya-Swaraj', which means 'People's Health in People's hands, by empowering individuals and communities to take charge of their health and thereby help them achieve freedom from disease as well as dependence. Mission: The mission of SEARCH is service, training, empowerment and research in the health of the communities as expressed in its name (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health).
About This Cause
Institutional history: Inspired by the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, and equipped by their medical training in India, and subsequently, training in public health and research at the Johns Hopkins University, the doctor couple Abhay and Rani Bang founded `SEARCH' in 1986. SEARCH is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working in the poorest, semi-tribal district, Gadchiroli, in the State of Maharashtra (India), 1000 km from Mumbai. SEARCH runs several health programs such as providing medical care through a hospital for the tribal and rural people of Gadchiroli, community health care in 230 villages, reproductive health education for youth and women, prevention and deaddiction of alcohol and tobacco, the participatory program for tribal development, training of trainers from different part of the country and abroad, field research to improve rural health services and advocacy to influence policy. Over the past 37 years, SEARCH has made some vital breakthroughs in the public health problems of India and globally. Head Quarters of SEARCH called ‘Shodh-gram’ is located in the forest 17 km from the nearest town of Gadchiroli. It is spread over 47 acres of land. This campus, reminding of an Ashram and a tribal village, has more than 70 buildings including a hospital, research center, training center, training hostel, mess and residential facilities for 150 staff and families members. Specific current programs of SEARCH : a. In the Gadchiroli district: - The Hospital serving 2500 villages and providing health services to 25,00,000 people. • OPD with various specialist services as Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Mental Health, General Medicine, Neurology, Infectious diseases, Infertility, Urosurgery, Spine problems, unique morbidities such as snake bites. Annually serving 45,000 patients. • Diagnostic services including pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, haematology, X-Ray, ECG, sonography • Indoor facilities for pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, malaria, snake and scorpion bites, pneumonia, TB, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, neurological disorders such as epilepsy, stroke, infectious disease, facility with accommodation for relatives in attendance. • ANC care and institutional deliveries for tribal and rural women • Surgical operation camps for Urosurgery, spine, pediatric, ENT, gastrointestinal, gynecological, & plastic / reconstructive surgeries. Annually conducting 600 major operations. • Low cost, quality medicines provided through a special pharmacy. • Health education of the patients and the communities • The hospital, established in 1993 was built after extensive consultations with the local tribal population. There is a temple of Maa Danteshwari, the supreme Goddess of the tribal Gond at the hospital entrance, without whose blessings the tribal would consider healing impossible. Hence the tribal have significant ownership of the hospital naming it as “Maa Danteshwari Dawakhana”. • This hospital abides by the guidelines as per the Hon’ble Bombay High Court’s directives pertaining to charitable hospitals. - Community health program serving 230 tribal and rural villages covering a population of 80,000. - Provide maternal, newborn and child care in 39 villages in Gadchiroli district. - Conduct research in the maternal, newborn and child health, chronic diseases and health services in 134 villages in Gadchiroli district producing several path breaking studies. - Conduct census and demographic data collection in 88 villages in Gadchiroli district. - Training of national and international community health students and volunteers - Provide primary care in 230 villages through community health workers. - Data management and information system including statistical analysis of the research data - Training of rural and tribal youth in data entry and provide employment in the organization - Training of tribal and rural youth and women in life skill and reproductive education program including schools and colleges - Organizing sports competitions in 43 tribal villages and follow-up to continue regular sports in the villages to popularize sports among tribal youth to offer healthy recreation as an alternative to substance abuse and pornography. Also improving physical health, confidence and team spirit in the youth. Over past 28 years 25,000 tribal youth have participated in these competitions. - Muktipath: Prevention and deaddiction program for tobacco and alcohol across the district serving 1500 villages and 12,00,000 population. - Ambulance services to 100 villages attending annually 350 emergency calls as obstructed delivery, accidents, snake bites, cerebral malaria, acute gastroenteritis - Operating a Mobile medical Unit in 230 tribal villages for provision of regular medical care serving more than 20,000 patients annually - Training of community health workers and tribal representatives - Organic farm - Conducting deaddiction camps for tobacco and alcohol in Gadchiroli district. Since 1994, SEARCH has conducted more than 200 camps providing services to more than 8000 addicts. - Conducting school programs for tobacco prevention in Gadchiroli district - Training of NGOs in alcohol & tobacco prevention and deaddiction - Conduct research on the burden of tobacco and alcohol in Gadchiroli district developing and intervention strategy. - Building public opinion against tobacco and alcohol b. State level : - Conducting camps in high schools and colleges in Gadchiroli district and across Maharashtra. Over last 28 years have trained 1,00,000 youth and adolescent. - Conducted training camps for SHG women and Sahyoginis in collaboration with MAVIM. Over 6 years have trained 2400 SHG women. - The state-wide initiative called ‘NIRMAN’, (to develop and nurture youth for the new leadership role in the social development sector in Maharashtra) involving i) State level camps ii) A youth organization as well as a high-level support group launched in the state. iii) Plan development for nurturing of selected youth - Training of NGOs for child survival, tobacco prevention and alcohol prevention. - Popular education by literary writings in Maharashtra (Population 100 million). - SEARCH directors, Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang have been contributing to shape health and development policies in Maharashtra India by being on several committees and commissions of the Government of Maharashtra, India such as; • Kelkar Committee on ‘Regional Imbalance and Balanced Regional Development’ • Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) of the State • Chairman, Committee on Tribal Health, The TAC • PCPNDT Committee • Violence against Women committee • Chairman, Child Death Review Committee, Maharashtra • Vidarbha Statutory Development Board • The Chief Secretary Committee on Malnutrition and Child deaths in Tribal Areas • Committee on the issue of Alcohol policy in Chandrapur District c. National level: - SEARCH dialogues with Planning Commission / NITI Aayog, Ministry of Health, Government of India, State Governments and National Rural Health Mission. - Providing technical support as well as develops training curriculum, modules and materials - SEARCH’s child survival program model called Home-based Newborn Care is a part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the 11th and the 12th Five Year Plan being implemented in 27 states in nearly 8,00,000 villages and hamlets. - SEARCH conducted training programs for state trainers and officers from different State Governments such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and other states for child survival program - Training, demonstration and role model to NGOs in India. - SEARCH directors, Dr. Abhay and Dr. Rani Bang have been contributing to shape health policies in India by being on several national committees and commissions of the Government of India such as; • Chairman, Expert Group to plan Health Care for Tribal Populations in India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, 2013 (cont.) • High Level Committee on Tribal populations in India, Prime Minister’s Office, 2013 (cont.) • High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Care, Planning Commission, 2010 • National Rural Health Mission Steering Group, Govt. of India • National ASHA mentoring group, 2009 (cont.) • National Group on Nutrition • National Commission on Population • National Commission on Macro-economics and Health • Audit Advisory Board, Comptroller and Auditor General, Govt. of India and many others d. International level: - The research conducted by SEARCH has contributed to shaping global policy on women’s reproductive health, global program on child survival and newborn health care - SEARCH’s Home based Newborn Care program has been endorsed by WHO - UNICEF and being propagated as global policy to be replicated in eight countries in Africa and South East Asia. - SEARCH conducts training for the government officers and NGOs from Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar, Eritrea, Lesotho, and Yemen in collaboration with UNICEF.