Billions of dollars in aid are spent every year to improve the health of the world’s poor, and yet preventable diseases continue to kill people. In India, even today, access to healthcare services, provision of essential medicines and scarcity of doctors are bottlenecks in the primary health care scenario. The complete absence of evidence-based guidelines on clinical scenarios and treatment plans in the primary health care sector, together with overburdening of the secondary and tertiary care sectors, has substantially lowered the quality of health care in the nation.

Caritas India leadership with the personal presence of Fr.Frederick D’souza and Fr.Paul Moonjely facilitated 3 consultations and meetings at different levels for a guided participatory planning for South Tamil Nadu Diocesan Partners stretched over a period of 6 months. These reflective sessions paved way for the identification of health issues. Caritas India wanted to address these issues through a clustered approach for a cumulative effect. Hence, the identification of common geographical and thematic areas with similarity on issues, strategies and common definite outcome.

Marthandam Integrated Development Society (MIDS) is one of the seven partner Diocesan Social Service Societies in South Tamil Nadu that is implementing Caritas India supported “ Health and wellbeing” programme since July 2017. Volunteers play a key role in steering this programme.

“There is an increasing trend in lifestyle diseases. Health systems are grappling with the effects of drug-resistant diseases. Mechanisms to monitor epidemiological challenges like mental health, occupational health, and other environmental risks are yet to be properly put in place. There are numerous non-health related factors that affect health outcomes, necessitating complex cross-sector approaches.

The NGO sector plays a substantial, often predominant, role in the delivery of healthcare services and bringing individual behavioral change’ said Dr.John Arokiaraj, Caritas South Zone Manager during the orientation to the MIDS staff.

In October 2017, Selected volunteers of MIDS  took the oath with lighted candles pledging their voluntary work for “ establishing a disease-free society ’. Today we have a strong cadre of 100 volunteers” said Mr.Sajan Jose, Programme Manager of MIDS who narrated the commitment of a woman volunteer.

Ms. Premalalatha, aged 41 hailing from Mecode is a volunteer. She has committed to work for the cause of creating awareness on cancer. She conducts short sessions about cancer and how to do self-test to the mothers’ forum in her village.  She gives moral strength and confidence to the women to approach the C.S.I, Cancer Institute for undergoing cancer screening.  She advises women that if we are able to identify cancer at an early stage then we can treat and cure it.  Her pacifying words and support help the women to come forward for the cancer testing.  She also accompanies the women to the hospitals.   She says “ I want to motivate more people to go for the cancer testing so that they can be safe in their life.  It is a fact that a number of young women in our area are infected with cancer and are living a helpless life”

When asked what motivated her to do this voluntary work she replied: “ I have personally witnessed the sufferings of two of my family members who died due to cancer.  My sister spent lot of money for her husband’s treatment but at the end, he died”.

She happily says that MIDS is providing her very effective platform to serve the people. “As a human being we all have the social responsibility to support others in need and devote our free time for the benefit of the society, “  says this committed volunteer.

“Next to hospital and treatment costs, patients are worried about ‘additional baggage’ (family’s livelihood). So the livelihood enhancement programmes play a signficant part in MIDS approach to address the issue of cancer” said Dr.John Arokiaraj who is accompanying this programme.

“The success of  Caritas India facilitated Kerala Ashakiranam programme built on volunteerism has given us motivation confidence,” says Fr.Peter Benedict Rajan, Director of MIDS.