Home to a population of 4.47 million, Surat is the second largest city in Gujarat and a major hub of India’s textile and diamond industries. Employment options in its signature industries has led to a rapid influx of migrants in the city from all over Gujarat and other parts of India like Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. As per the provisional figures of Census 2011, more than 10% of the city population lives in slums; however, this does not include a significant number of non-notified slums that have over 3.84 lakh households. Health assessment studies reveal that the total percentage of slum population in Surat is as high as 40%.

These slum dwellers, living below the poverty line, are generally engaged in daily wage labour, domestic help, rickshaw/auto driving, rag picking and other unskilled/semi-skilled jobs to make a livelihood. However, overcrowding, congestion and unhygienic and dismal physical environment make living conditions grim for them. Lack of civic facilities like drinking water, garbage disposal, sanitation, drainage, and community toilets makes them susceptible to diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, malaria, typhoid, dengue and pneumonia. Illiteracy, poor hygiene and lack of health-seeking behaviour further add to their vulnerability to health risks.

Project Highlights

  • Targeting to reach around 1.25 lakh beneficiaries residing in 15 slums of Surat in a year.

  • Free-of-cost medical check-ups, pathological tests and medicine distribution conducted through regular OPDs and special health camps.

  • Regular IEC activities like street plays, community meetings and school health programs conducted to promote healthy living practices among families and children.

  • Special focus on pregnant and lactating mothers through ANC/PNC and immunization services to decrease maternal and infant mortality rates.

  • Referral services provided to patients to link underprivileged communities with the public healthcare system.

Impact

322 OPD session were conducted so far.

14595 beneficiaries were provided curative services.

66 % of the targeted beneficiaries are women.

1226 pathological tests were conducted so far.

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