PROVIDING valuable medical equipment to a hospital in Tiruchengode, a town with a population of nearly 150,000 in southern India.

Another worthy project I have been involved with under the banner of Maternal and Child Health has seen the benefit of sponsoring valuable medical equipment to a hospital in Tiruchengode, a town with a population of nearly 150,000 in southern India. The Tiruchengode Government Hospital is run by the Government of Tamil Nadu; this serves to nearly 650,000 people living in and around Tamilnadu. The hospital provides free medical treatment and health care to around 1000-1200 poor people each day.

Expecting an addition to the family can be an exciting event for many. But for some it can also be a worrying time. 120-150 babies are delivered every month at the Tiruchengode Government Hospital along with other complicated cases that have been referred from elsewhere. Up to 90 mothers undergo Caesarean section every month. It was found that the Hospital was in need of more specialised equipment to handle the C-section and other complicated cases.

Through The Rotary Foundation Global Grant system, the following equipment was purchased for the hospital: Criticool, Ultra Sound Machine for Ante- Natal Mothers, Otoacoustic Emissions Machine, Multipara Monitor for Ante-Natal Mothers, CTG (Cardiotocography) Machine and Oxygen Concentrator.

With this additional equipment and appropriate training, Doctors and medical staff are now able to handle the C-section and other complicated cases much better. Doctors can plan, take precautions, continually monitor, and render a safe delivery experience to the mothers, as well as being able to detect anomalies in the babies early, starting corrective medical treatment at the appropriate time, while providing assurance to the mothers for a much better outcome for their new baby.

It is estimated that this much needed equipment will help about 600 mothers and up to 250 babies every year.

The attached photo shows baby Revathi having had a severe neurologic abnormality being the first baby treated with this equipment. Ten months on Revathi has attained milestones and is doing well. The equipment availability prevented severe brain damage and helped this baby to become neurologically normal. This is just one case. Many babies and mothers from poor families have already benefitted by this wonderful project.

The support from D9570 Australia to the Rotary Club of Tiruchengode in D2982 India, and The Rotary Foundation, made this amazing community service possible. Primary host contact PDG Shanmugasundaram has expressed sincere appreciation to PDG Judith Henderson and D9570 for facilitating this much needed and life-saving Maternal and Child Health Rotary project.