Partnering Oportunities

Centre for Mobile Health Services – Northern Province

The population (476,342) and infrastructure of the Vanni (Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Vavuniya, Districts of the Northern Province) were severely devastated by the military conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The worst affected being; Mannar, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi. Hospitals and other facilities for delivery of health services that were severely damaged or destroyed during the last stages of the war are being rebuilt with the support of WHO, UNICEF and IOM.

However our experience with the mobile clinics has shown that there is a clear and urgent need to improve health facilities in the resettlement areas. This is borne out by WHO SEARO reports that have repeatedly pointed out that access to primary health care services for these returnees from the IDP camps remains the priority for the health sector.The Vanni covers an area of approximately 7,650 km2 and many of the villages are situated far away from main roads and public transport facilities; people have to reach health facilities on foot or bicycles.

Between January and December 2012, 18 medical and dental clinics were held in 16 villages in the Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts through 9 trips made to the Vanni. A total of 3938 medical and 650 dental patients were seen. These clinics had to be organized using our resources from Colombo and Kalmunai (Eastern Province) and sometimes volunteer medical personnel from Jaffna.

The patient numbers – average of over 200 medical patients and 30 dental patients treated during a clinic-day – indicate that the current service is not adequate to meet the actual healthcare needs of these widely dispersed communities.

It is in this context that NHC is proposing to establish a centre in Kilinochchi Town (or its environs) from which mobile health services can be provided to meet the healthcare needs of outlying hamlets in the Vanni. The Kilinochchi District has a population of approximately 113,000 persons and is centrally positioned between the Mannar and Mullaitivu Districts. Vavuniya has a higher population but has a relatively well developed healthcare system.

It is intended that the NHC facility as envisaged will enable us to offer a wholistic service that will include preventive health education and some counseling as well. The broad goal of the project is for the resettled population in the Vanni to experience wholeness.

The main objectives are:

1. To improve physical health of resettled population by providing Primary healthcare and dental services to the community

2. To have an impact on their emotional and spiritual well-being through Counselling, prayer and encouragement of the distressed

3. To motivate congregations to get involved in health and spiritual care of the community through meetings/seminars for pastors and church members.

Community Health and Development Programme in the East

This is an ongoing initiative currently funded by NHC’s healthcare clinic in Colombo and NHC is looking to make this initiative a self sustaining one with its own funding partners.

The Eastern Province is comprised of the Districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara. Fishing, peasant agriculture and casual labour are the predominant livelihood among these rural folk. According to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey of 2009/2010 conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, the Batticaloa District showed the highest deprivation (20.3%).

Under the Community Health Education (CHE) Programme we have provided preventative mobile screening clinics, mobile dental surgery, and health care access facilitation for people with disabilities or other barriers to accessing health care. Our teams trained people in rural villages giving them basic physical and spiritual health lessons and how to share them with their neighbours. The concept behind this programme is to empower & transform chosen communities who have shown an interest to join with us and improve their living standards.

The benefits of the programme are evident in the increased adoption of various hygiene/ healthy practices in the villages of Mahiloormunai (195 families, 884 persons) and Kudiyiruppumunai (90 families, 438 persons) where we have been working in the last two years. For example, 53% increase in families boiling water for drinking and 30% increase in families with hygienic latrines in Mahilooormunai; 71% increase in families boiling water for drinking; 82%increase in families with garbage disposal pits in Kudiyiruppumunai. We have also facilitated the formation of women’s groups who are operating a contributory self help finance scheme.

We now have a Children’s CHE Programme in these two villages having found that in these rural poorer communities, children often play an important role in passing on what they have learned to the adults and influencing them; thus empowering them to tackle such systemic issues as poverty, disease, addiction and hopelessness in the community. The approach is through creation of children’s clubs. This programme takes place after school hours; the children are given lessons in health, hygiene, environment and moral values, and also coached in English and mathematics. They are encouraged in team play through 2 sport’s clubs in each village. Children’s unity and care for one another is promoted as well.

The communities are very happy that NHC has taken on this role as their kids are not wandering the streets (or rather dirt tracks!) and involved in something that’s beneficial. The ministry has also engendered an inter-faith solidarity within the community as the families (mostly Hindu and a few Christian) discern the spiritual lessons having a beneficial impact on the kid’s behaviour. Participation of the older girls/women is also being encouraged or empowered by other projects such as sewing classes and managing a savings scheme.

Health Facilitaion: We have used our contact with communities (not limited to the two CHE villages where we are working now) to find neglected individuals, often people with disabilities, who need special attention to help them get the healthcare services that they need. We have also given support and encouragement to the caregivers of people with severe health problems; prayer and pastoral care for those who are open and interested in spiritual matters; assisted people with physical disabilities to get to outpatient appointments. Sight-saving cataract operations, hearing aids and mobility aids have been supported and facilitated. Around 20 persons were ‘facilitated’ every month to access government health services and /or encouraged through prayer and counselling.

Due to the donor agencies winding up operations in Sri Lanka and our main sources of funding for the health education and health facilitation work with communities in the east no longer being available, the ministry was being funded almost entirely by NHC’s healthcare centre in Colombo. This arrangement is not sustainable in the long-term as NHC Colombo is itself a non-profit entity. The NHC board has therefore had to prune the staff and activities in the East. Currently (June 2014) we are focusing on the CHE programme for children.

We are looking for funding partners who can support the continuance of this vital ministry.