Vision

The vision of ASHWINI has been to use the hospital as a tool for changing social equations. The tribal community had to be given the skills to staff and manage the programs. The quality of care had to be maintained at high standards thereby creating demand from the mainstream to access care here. The tribals would now have something to offer the mainstream, services that are in demand.

The ground work for this has been systematically laid. 75% of the staff are from the Adivasi community. As and when they are capable of handling an activity, it has been handed over to them. Today more than 80% of decisions are made by them. For some of the others, they get inputs from professionals or experts. The hospital is much sought after and the tribal staff provide services with confidence and dignity. The hospital has done wonders to improve their self image.

Facilities

Today the hospital has 50 beds including four in a high dependency unit and 12 in the maternity unit.

There are two well equipped operating rooms with laparoscopic facilities, labor room with new born care unit, blood bank with components separation( the only one in the district), ultrasound, X ray, microbiology and other investigative facilities.

Bahmini, the hospital software captures all data, efficiently entered by the tribal staff.

Departments that  have been demarcated include out-patient, lab, pharmacy, dental, accounts, billing, in patient, operating room, supportive services, housekeeping, administration, research etc

GAH has been accredited under NABH at entry level.

It is empanelled under the Government Insurance schemes.

The full time doctors include a general surgeon, gynecologist/obstetrician, family physician, anesthesiologist, pediatrician, dentists and junior doctors. Visiting specialists include orthopedics, pediatric surgery, urology, gynecology, laparoscopic surgery, vascular surgery, ENT, cardiology, pediatric neurology, developmental pediatrics, speech therapy, audiology etc. The Radiology department of CMC, Vellore supports us online.The specialists help us to provide a wide range of services in this remote area to underprivileged patients.

Activities

Outpatient clinics for tribals are held everyday. An average of 1000 patients are seen in a month. Non tribals are seen 6 days a week; the numbers are regulated depending on the number of doctors in the clinic; average is about 2000 patients a month .

All investigations are carried out on the same day; except when samples have to be sent to outside labs for more advanced tests. The hospital has a tie up with Thyrocare, one of the biggest labs in India, because of which most investigations are possible even in this remote place. Ultrasound is done once a week. The Government hospital has a CT scanner, but no radiologist. We send pictures of the scan tot he radiology department in CMC, Vellore. The results reach us in 48 hours from Dr Harshad Vanjare.

Tribal patients are admitted for any condition needing in patient care. 90 % of the cases are managed at GAH; the ones needing tertiary care are referred various places depending on the needs. Tribal patients are usually accompanied by a staff member or a knowledgeable person from the village and they are provided funds to a certain extend for immediate needs as well as medical care. This money comes from the community health fund to which the people contribute. Over the years the reasons for admission has moved from communicable diseases to cardiovascular disorders, diabetes etc. 94% of the tribal women deliver in hospital now; most of them being at GAH.

Major and minor elective surgeries are done once a week each. Upper GI endoscopy is done once a week. Visiting surgeons of various specialties volunteer their services.

The sickle cell centre, presently supported by the National Heath Mission NHM provides prophylactic and curative care services to over 300 patients on the sickle cell disease register. Patients are followed up on a regular basis based on their needs.

All newborns born in the hospital undergo newborn screening for the disease. GAH continues to provide screening for patients with anaemia or patients that have not been screened earlier.

The disability centre is a new addition to the hospital activities.

Staff

75% of the staff are from the tribal community. The doctors and a few of the professionals are non tribal.