These developments were
explored through our hospitals. Kurji Holy Family Hospital, Patna (see www.
http://kurjiholyfamilyhospital.com/)
expanded its outreach and Community Services very early. It also opened two
centers for Community Health and Rural Development in Dibra (1963) and Maner
(1969) and an Urban Community Health Center (1970) with the goal of empowerment
of people through relevant activities. Women were the special emphasis whether
for basic primary education or training programs to become traditional birth
attendants, health promoters, community health workers or home nurses.
This has borne fruit in women developing self-respect and confidence,
recognizing their potential to make a difference in their families and in their
communities. Government recognized the good work done by the Public Health Department
and made it a participant in the Public Health section of its Third Five Year
Plan, with a grant for its services. A Community Care Centre for HIV/AIDS
reached out to about 2000 affected persons in 2011/12 and conducted awareness
education for prevention of HIV/AIDS in schools of Patna Unit.
In Holy Family Hospital, Mandar, Ranchi Unit, by 1965 doctors and nurses went
out of the hospital to conduct weekly clinics in areas surrounding the hospital
and by 1973 the Community Health Department focused on maternal and child
health, besides school health and home visiting. It also conducted Achievement
Motivation sessions for villagers, participated in the WHO national small pox
eradication program and the Government sponsored Total Literacy Program, trained
people to function in Gram Sabhas (general meeting of villagers in a
Panchayat), to make Panchayats (village self-rule) operative. New initiatives in Mandar are a Government
program for safe mother and child (Mukya Mantri Janani Swasthya Surakhsa Yojna)
and work with the youth.
Rural Integrated Holistic Approach to
Alcoholism (RIHAA) keeps in touch and expands its work with families plagued by
alcoholic members by door to door visit. RIHAA at the hospital and in its
Community work has been beneficial to many individuals and their families (read
more).
Post 1974, these developments were further expanded, for the empowerment of
people, by individuals and groups of MMS who initiated or participated in
movements with and for the poor, the youth and in running Self Help Groups.