GOVERNOR’S SECRETARIAT
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
ITANAGAR

                                                           

No. IPR (PR)-03/2009                                                 Dated Naharlagun the 21 Dec. 2009.

Press Release No-1378

Governor exhorts NGO

Itanagar, Dec.  20: You are doing a wonderful job, said Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen JJ Singh, when Padmashree Dr H Sudarshan, head of Karuna Trust called on him at Raj Bhavan on December 19th 2009. On being briefed about the Primary Health Centres managed by the Karuna Trust in Arunachal Pradesh, the Governor appreciated the yeomen services provided by the trust in the remote areas of the State. Gen Singh expressed his happiness that the PHCs taken up under Public Private Partnership are running very well. While assuring to look into the problems of the Trust, the Governor exhorted the NGO to put its best foot forward in providing the much needed medical care to the tribal community of this Frontier State. He also assured to participating in their endeavor to provide latest medical care facilities in the interior places, reports PRO to Governor.

Earlier, while apprising the Governor on the activities of the Karuna Trust, Dr Sudarshan informed that at presently it is managing total 46 (Forty-six) government Primary Health Centres (PHC) across the country and in Arunachal Pradesh, it is running 9 (Nine) PHCs in nine Districts since Jan 2006 under Public Private Partnership (PPP) program with Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Highlighting on the day to day services provided in the Karuna Trust run PHCs, Dr. Sudarshan further informed that it has 24 hours Emergency cum Casualty Services, 24 hours labour Room and Essential Obstetrics facilities and 24 hours Ambulance facility.  Its PHCs also have 5 to 15 Bed inpatient facilities along with minor operation theatre.  All routine Laboratory test facilities at the PHC are carried out as per GOI guidelines. The PHCs provide six days a week OPD service and it ensures availability of all essential medicines free of cost. Along with it, Dr. Sudarshan said the Trust has even providing X-Ray machines in three PHCs under its care. The Head of Karuna Trust further informed that it has started Computer centre for the tribal youth of Tezu, a library and music school in the office building which was by the Governor in November 2008. It will grow with rural development activities, he added.

Placing the problems of the Trust, Dr. Sudarshan said due to encroachment of the land donated to the Kurana Trust, it is enabled to expand its proposed medicinal plants activity at Tezu. He also placed their requirement of three hectares of land for running a Nursing School in Arunachal as desired by the State Government. It may be mentioned here that in the year 2005, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, in order to further improve the health facilities in the State, has decided to implement a pilot project in which one Primary Health Centre (PHC) in each district of the state will be managed and operated through a selected Non Government Organization (NGO). Following invitation of the expression of Interest (EOI) through leading national newspapers, Karuna Trust was selected for the nine PHCs in nine different districts of the state. It took over the Sangram PHC in Kurung Kumey district on 20th December 2005, which was followed by taking over of six more PHCs in 2006. Etalin PHC of Dibang Valley was taken over on 2nd January, Wakka PHC in Tirap and Bameng PHC in East Kameng on 5th January, Mengio PHC of Papum Pare and Walong PHC in Anjaw on 8th January and Khimiyong PHC of Changlang district on 1st November. Jeying PHC of Upper Siang was taken over on 17th September 2007 and Anpum PHC of Lower Dibang Valley on 9th March 2008. Karuna Trust, established in 1986 by Padmashree Dr H Sudarshan, is a public charitable trust, affiliated to the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyan Kendra, located in BR Hills, Karnataka. The Trust began as a response to the high prevalence of Leprosy in Yelandur Taluk, Chamrajnagar district in Karnataka. Continuous promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative efforts brought down prevalence of leprosy in the taluk to 0.28 per 1000 population in 2005. From Leprosy control, Karuna Trust diversified into epilepsy, mental health, tuberculosis and eventually, management of Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Gumballi, Karnataka since 1996. Over the years, the scope of the Trust’s has grown to include various other health aspects as well to include integrated rural development. The focus areas are health, education and livelihoods. With Public-Private-Partnership initiatives, in addition to implementing replicable and innovative models in this area, Karuna Trust believes in community based, people oriented, need based, culturally acceptable methods, using appropriate technology with minimum cost to the community.

The Trust is participating and implementation of Health & Family Welfare National Programs including the National Rural Health Mission. It also conducts outreach and Information, Education and Communication activities through medical camps.