Medical and Healthcare

A. Kolikarai Hospital- Dr. Narasimhan Hospital at Kolikarai Tribal Village

The Kolikarai Hospital which is situated in the Kolikarai Tribal village adjoining the Reserve forest was established during 1958 by our founder late Padmashri Dr. S.Narasimhan.

To begin with the hospital was started in a single room without even electricity facilities. Gradually with the help of Indian and foreign donors, it has now developed into a 60-bedded hospital with moderately equipped facilities.

This Hospital caters to the medical needs of people from twenty villages in and around the adjoining reserve forest. Apart from this hilly district, patients from the neighboring Coimbatore District in the plains, travel long way to reach this hospital skipping other hospitals in the towns. Tribal patients feel at home at this hospital.

Around 30-35 out patients are treated every day.

This hospital has facilities to accommodate up to 60 indoor patients.

Clinical laboratory is also available for biomedical, pathological and clinical tests to establish and confirm the clinical diagnosis.

There is an X-ray unit and an operating theatre attached to this hospital. Emergency and minor surgeries are performed when it is needed.

B. Arayure Hospital Bromley Hospital and Olive Stross Clinic at Arayure Tribal Village

This remote Hospital was established during 1966 for the medical needs of Kurumba tribes.

A motor able road was laid during 1964 only to construct this hospital. Originally the Kurumba tribes were dwelling in the rocks and caves in this hilly terrain. The idea of creating a hospital in this remote area was that Kurumba should be able to access it travelling by foot through the thick jungle and braving the wild animals.

Now this 10 bedded hospital caters to the medical needs of both Irula and Kurumba tribes. There are around ten tribal settlements adjoining the hospital and the people living in these settlements utilize the medical services.

C. Paniya Farm Hospital NAWA Golden Jubilee Tribal Hospital at Paniya Farm

This medical centre, established in 1966, is located at the Paniya Rehabilitation Farm Center at Kayunni, Erumad village in Pandalur Taluk. As an integral part of the Paniya Farm this centre serves the medical needs of Paniyas and other tribal communities in this region.

Dr. Hans Henning Mundel, our First Farm Manager from Canada has raised funds to convert the daily dispensary into a fully fledged hospital with the support of Rotary Club of Lethbridge East, Canada and the Rotary Club of Coimbatore Manchester under a matching grant project.

D. Kunjapanai Dispensary

A day dispensary at Kunjapanai village was started during 1976. This hospital caters to the medical needs of people from 10 tribal villages in and around Kunjapanai. Since this Dispensary is located very close to the main road, patients can reach this dispensary easily by public transport.

A Government Tribal Residential Higher Secondary School is functioning in the next compound to the dispensary. Around 300 children from this school make use of this dispensary for their medical needs.

On an average 25-30 out patients including the tribal school children are treated in the dispensary every day. Monthly health check-up of children in the adjoining crèche is also carried out by this medical centre.

E. KTTH – Kotagiri Town Tribal Hospital at Headquarters

“The Clinic”, which was established during the Founder’s time was converted into a hospital during 2006-07 with the approval from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. This hospital has an outpatient department, 15 beds for indoor patients, clinical laboratory, x-ray unit, Sickle Cell screening laboratory and a kitchen. It caters to the medical and health needs of patients from Irula, Kurumba, Kota and Toda tribal communities.

F. Medical Unit – I

Mobile Medical Unit grant-in- aided by Ministry of Tribal Affairs is functioning in Udhagamandalam & Coonoor areas.

G. BR Hills -Chamraj Nagar Health Development Center & NAWA Medical Unit – II (Upgraded) (Karnataka Medical Unit) :

The Biligiri Rangan Hills hospital was established in 1986 following 8 years of Mobile medical services in the region. One of the Medical Officers from NAWA head quarters visited this hospital and neighboring tribal hamlets on a regular basis. we have appointed a full time doctor for this hospital and he takes care of medical needs of the Sholiga tribe broom the region.

II. TNHSP – Tamil Nadu Health System Project

Tribal Mobile Outreach Services in Kotagiri, Coonoor, Gudalur, Ooty Blocks and Karamadai & Periyanaikan Blocks of Coimbatore.

The Mobile Medical Unit, a vital link to the entire medical work of NAWA visit the tribal villages in Kotagiri, Coonoor, Ooty and Gudalur blocks in Nilgiris District and tribal areas of Coimbatore district. The Mobile medical team consists of a Medical Officer, Nurse, Pharmacist and a driver. Besides visiting the tribal hamlets on a regular basis the medical team also visits Government Tribal Residential Schools and the crèches run by NAWA and screens the children regularly.

NAWA has reached a M.O.U. with TNHSP during May 2007 to implement the scheme called “Tribal Mobile Outreach Services” in Kotagiri block initially and later expanded to Ooty, Coonoor and Gudalur blocks in the Nilgiris and the tbibal areas in Coimbatore district.

Clinical investigations for Haemoglobin, TC, DC, Urine Albumin, Urine Sugar, Pregnancy tests are done in the villages utilising the facilities available in the ambulance van provided by the Tamil Nadu Government.

TNHSP – Sickle Cell Anaemia Intervention Programme: Kotagiri, Coonoor, Masinagudi (Ooty) & Coimbatore.

Under the Tamil Nadu Health System Project NAWA runs the sickle cell anemia screening programme in the Kotagiri block. The sickle cell anemia team consists of a Medical Officer, Laboratory Technician, Counselor, and a Computer Staff. The teams visit the villages and screen the people for Sickle cell. The identified sickle cell affected patients are provided with palliative treatment and supplementary nutrition.

Tribal Counsellors:

Under the Tamil Nadu Health System Project 10 tribal counsellors working under the control of NAWA in 10 Government Hospitals and Primary Health Centres in the Nilgiris District. These Counsellors assist and guide the tribal patients in these medical centres

Mother and Child Care

Ever since its early phase of evolution, NAWA has responded to the special needs of young children of 0 to 5 years of age. A few balwadies or crèches were initially established in remote areas in order to reach out to really deprived community settlements. The intention then (as now) was to provide not merely nutritional support and health care also provide to nurture young children at day-care centres where trained workers provide stimulating creative environments, relevant learning and play materials, to help build up their cognitive functions towards making them socially, psychologically and culturally integrated.

Today, there is a network of balwadies spread across the Nilgiris: at the tribal villages of Kolikarai, Arayure, Banglapadi, Garkiyure, Kunjapanai, Mettukkal, Baviyure, Sundapatti, Vellaricombai, Semmanarai and Thalamokkai in Kotagiri block and at the Paniya Rehabililation Farm in the Gudalur block. These centres are managed by people, who have been selected from the communities, and trained by NAWA. Regular on-going orientation and refresher courses, provided in partnership with other agencies, continue to encourage the development of new and additional skills and capacities that help the staff to cope with emerging needs and challenges of change.