Inspired by the success of maternal and infant survival project in Gamharia block, the same project was replicated in a three-year term commencing on October 2006 in Rajnagar Block of Seraikela, Kharsawan. The project focuses on pregnant and lactating women and mothers of children under two years of age. The main aim is to provide health information and services to the target group to support healthy lifestyle and mortality reduction.

Project MANSI (Maternal & Child Survival Project) has thus been introduced in 174 villages of Seraikela Block of Seraikela Kharsawan District, Jharkhand (initial period December 2009 to November 2013), with the objective of reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity. The project is supported by American India Foundation, the Hans Foundation and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of Jharkhand. Technical support is being provided by SEARCH (Society for Education Action and Research).

• Antenatal & Postnatal Care
• Breast-feeding
• Immunisation
• Birth Spacing
• Newborn Care

AASTHA 1 – A three-year project on RCH was successfully completed in the three panchayats of Purusattampur Block in 07-08. Encouraged with the results, TSRDS Gopalpur replicated this project in AASTHA 2 in four panchayats of Hinjilicut rural block starting from April 2008.The goal of the project is to improve the health status of the poor rural community by providing quality primary health care facilities with its focus on RCH services to achieve population stabilisation. TSRDS’ lady doctor has been conducting an RCH clinic in all the eight villages of the project every month where 786 antenatal and 238 postnatal clients were checked in 2008-09. The 3rd dose of immunisation was also completed for 308 babies.

Project RISHTA (Regional Initiative for Sexual Health for Today’s Adolescents) is aimed to safeguard the youth from adverse effects of teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse and disease. In 2008-09, the project reached out to approximately 24,000 young men and women. Extending basic health services, about 7750 children were immunised; approximately 8400 women covered through antenatal check-ups and over 1640 cataract operations conducted. Certificates, aids and appliances were provided to over 2600 differently abled persons.

As an important step towards encouraging male participation in family planning, in 2009 alone, around 650 men underwent non-scalpel vasectomy, which may be considered a record number. Over 7000 couples were protected through permanent methods of family planning that included Laparoscopic Tubectomy in females and non-scalpel vasectomy in males.

As early as 1990s, Tata Steel initiated a policy recognising the importance of HIV/AIDS interventions and since then various programmes have been designed to address current needs and concerns in HIV/AIDS). Data on incidence for the last three years shows a decline. Tata Steel has expanded its interventions across all locations in partnership with Tata Steel's Health Services, local medical institutions, Government Health agencies and Jharkhand State AIDS Control Society (JSACS). AIDS Awareness Programmes are a part of the activities undertaken by the JDCs of various departments of Tata Steel. Health-related projects are undertaken in the East & West Singhbhum and Seraikela - Kharsawan districts of the state as well in Mines & Collieries.

Initiatives include -

• Counselling at Sneh Kendra, a ‘Single window’ health delivery concept, has helped over 1440 people ‘at risk’ to discuss their issues openly.  Over 200 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) were helped in 2009-10.
• Project “Kavach” - Various focused interventions like media events, counselling sessions and ‘Khushi’ clinics for STI treatment are being organised throughout the year to minimise the risk of HIV/AIDS among truckers. This is an important step considering that Jamshedpur is a transportation hub in eastern India.
• Project 'SATHI' - A residential community care centre is located in Ganjam, the 14th most vulnerable district in India in HIV/AIDS. It aims at supporting People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This partnership project with Orissa State AIDS Control Society, Bhubneshwar, was initiated in December 2006 and during the year 2008-09 the centre provided treatment and counselling to 376 persons.
• Bustee AIDS Awareness Sensitisation & Empowerment (BASE Project).
• Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS), in collaboration with Jharkhand State AIDS Control Society (JSACS), organised a rally to observe National Voluntary Blood Donation Day on 24th October 2011, at Jamshedpur Transportnagar, Dimna. This was part of the ‘Truckers Intervention Project’. Around 300 people participated in the rally, which was organised to sensitise people to actively participate in the Blood Donations Camps. ‘Nukkad Nataks’ were performed to demonstrate the theme of the programme.

Five Sanjeevani Health Camps were organised at different locations where doctors from a renowned College in Bhubaneshwar treated approximately 1400 patients with general ailments and specific concerns in medical specialties like O&G, ENT, Ophthalmology (Eye), Paediatrics and Orthopaedics. The patients were also provided with free medicines.

For more information on healthcare initiatives in Kalinganagar, click here.

Tata Steel happens to be the initial partners of Impact India Foundation to host the Lifeline Express in the first year of its launch, 1991. The Lifeline Express, the world's first hospital on rails, caters to inaccessible rural areas where medical services are not available. Using the Indian Railway network, it is equipped with a modern operation theatre that offers diagnostic, medical and surgical treatment for prevention and curative interventions for the physically challenged patients as well. It offers on-the-spot diagnostic, medical and advanced surgical treatment through preventive and curative interventions to persons with orthopaedic, ENT and eye ailments.

Since 1991, Tata Steel has been able to reach out to over 60,000 people from the rural and remote areas of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The physically challenged now have access to medical services irrespective of how far removed they are from existing facilities.

Providing safe drinking water is one of the major thrust areas in Tata Steel’s healthcare initiatives. Every year different sources of clean water are created to ensure safe drinking water to the communities. During 2009-10, 150 new tubewells were installed, 100 hand pumps were repaired and a drinking water project, with overhead tanks in 20 locations around the bustee and rural areas within a 10 km radius of Jamshedpur, was implemented. Over 400 rural families benefited as a result of Tata Steel's efforts in 2009-10

In 2009-2010, the problem of access to uncontaminated drinking water in Indian villages was addressed by providing potable water through tankers or piped water distribution systems and hand pumps, or via the construction/repair of wells. To address Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS) proposes to take up the drinking water project with the goal of achieving 100% coverage to ensure portable drinking water supply to every household in the Company’s operational areas.

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To minimise the risk of diarrhoeal diseases due to open defecation, use of low cost toilets is being promoted in the villages.

TSRDS in collaboration with District Water and Sanitation Mission, in the Year 2008-09 could convert four Gram Panchayats to ‘Nirmal Gram’ with villages having 100% covered- toilets, three through Jamshedpur and one through its Jamadoba unit. This endeavour of TSRDS has influenced other villages to come forward for installation of these toilets. 4944 toilets were installed in 2008-09.close this

The cleft lip palate is a deformity which has been long neglected due to the existing social stigma in the community. According to the birth rate indicator for cleft lip / palate deformity it is 1 in every 700 live births. This in itself is indicative of the gravity of the problem. Every year 35,000 children are born with this deformity.

To identify this deformity many screening camps were held at various locations and the following treatment has brought a smile in the face of 209 children born with such facial deformities in the year 2009-10. This is a continuous initiative since 2002 and approximately 3200 cases of cleft lip and palate have been operated till 2010.

Case Study : Smile Pinki, Jamadoba
Pinki Kumari and her Mother Khelu Devi led a wretched life since they both had a Cleft Lip and the people in their community looked down upon them. One fine morning when both mother and daughter were returning home they met Mr Sankar Rao and Satyadeo Prasad of TSRDS' Medical Unit. They motivated Pinki to attend the screening camp on Cleft Lip and assured her that she would be normal after the operation. When Pinki Kumari went to TMH, Jamshedpur along with her 55-year-old mother Khelu Devi the doctor checked and successfully operated both mother and daughter. They are now leading a normal life. Recently marriage proposals have been coming for Pinki Kumari from various places and she would be happily married soon. Her mother Khelu Devi thanked TSRDS and said that in Jharia TSRDS is the only true friend of the neglected and weak.

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Cataract is an age-related condition in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded resulting in blurred vision. Blindness due to cataract presents an enormous problem in India not only in terms of human affliction but also in terms loss of income due to disablement. The WHO / NPCB (National Programme for Control of Blindness) survey has shown that there is a pile-up of over 22 million cases of blindness to be treated and 80.1% of these have been caused due to cataract. The annual incidence of cataract blindness is about 3.8 million.

Recognising the tremendous problem of adult blindness Tata Steel has been successfully conducting eye surgeries in collaboration with Jamshedpur Eye Hospital and other professional institutions. Over 1669 Cataract surgeries were conducted to restore vision in the year 2009-10.

Joda is a prominent name in the map of malaria endemic zones in Orissa. The various factors that affect the high incidence of malaria in the region have been identified as follows:

• Poor level of awareness.
• Poor socio-economic condition.
• Dense forest surrounding the villages.
• Lack of immediate detection of malaria due to remoteness.

To combat the problem various initiatives have been taken by Tata Steel, TSRDS and the Tata Steel Hospital :

• Identification of malaria prone villages - Khondbond, Guruda, Gonua and Bichakundi, Khuntpani, Malda, Katesahi.
• Fogging and spraying with support from JUSCO.
• Distribution of 5606 medicated mosquito nets in villages. Of a target of 16000, 7377 households were covered.
• Awareness campaign through folk play “Nukkad Natak” and wall writing.
• Referral services.
• Fixing window nets at the houses of employees.
• Card test in villages for detection of malaria.
• Awareness programmes for the early detection of the disease.

The impact of the initiatives is made clear in the following graphs.