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Tag Archives: sustainable development

RECYCLED WATER FOR SNEHADAAN HOSPITAL

Last week we told you about the recently inaugurated project concerning the purchase of an ambulance and dialysis equipment for the Snehadaan Hospital in Bangalore, India, but this is not the only activity that we at Salute e Sviluppo have decided to carry out in favour of the new Camillian hospital.

Again in synergy with the Sneha Charitable Trust, from this week a new three-month project will start that will see us in the front line to finance the construction of a rainwater well and a wastewater treatment plant: all that water that has already been used, for domestic or industrial use, needs specific treatment to be used safely again.

All our activities are designed to be sustainable and in line with the principles of the UN 2030 Agenda. Water – in particular – has been the focus of many of our projects, all designed to emphasise the weight and importance that this element has for human life and for the wellbeing of the individual, who must have safe access to this fundamental source. Recycling water and treating it appropriately so that it can be reused within the hospital itself is our goal, to reaffirm once again our commitment to our planet and the importance of this element.

In September, when the project is completed, both the well and the treatment plant will be completed and fully functional and available to the hospital. We are very happy to be able to contribute to the achievement of this goal in line with our values, always standing by the Camillians at Snehadaan Hospital.

SUPPORT FOR SNEHADAAN HOSPITAL

For many years now, Salute e Sviluppo has been funding and supporting projects in India, all with the precise objective of improving the living conditions of those most in need: in particular – in recent years – we have been involved in activities concerning HIV-infected children who would be forced to remain on the margins of a society that is still reluctant to accept them, were it not for precise support and care programmes carried out by the Sneha Charitable Trust.

Once again we reaffirm the synergy between us at Salute e Sviluppo and the Sneha Charitable Trust, to support the brand new hospital run by the Camillians, Snehadaan Hospital, which opened its doors less than a month ago. This medical centre was set up with the intention of providing the local population of Bangalore with a state-of-the-art health centre, with specialised doctors and state-of-the-art machinery, to enable everyone to receive proper treatment and diagnosis.

In order to help and support this new facility, we at Health and Development also wanted to contribute by financing the purchase of an ambulance and equipment necessary for the hospital’s dialysis department. At the end of the project – in mid-September – all instruments and medical equipment will be up and running to serve the needs of Snehadaan Hospital.

Our support for the facility will be continuous over time and aimed at a progressive growth of the hospital and its capacities, in order to increasingly improve the health conditions of those who – most in need – need help.

MANY ACHIEVEMENTS IN BOSSEMPTÉLÉ

Not many months have passed since we told you about our project Health and Nutrition for the Vulnerable Population of the Sub-Prefecture of Bossemptélé, which is part of the ‘Emergency Initiative in Support of the Vulnerable Population in the Central African Republic’ funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and whose aim is to improve the living conditions of the population of the Bossemptélé Sub-Prefecture, which is particularly tried by the instability in the country. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The Central African Republic has never enjoyed such tranquillity as to allow it to grow and prosper; on the contrary, it has had to contend with numerous coups d’état and as many dictators who, acting without scruples, have allowed the exploitation of the country’s resources, without a thought for the increasingly sacrificed population. The situation in recent years has been particularly difficult: rebel groups have clashed several times with state forces, causing violence and deaths, especially among the most vulnerable population.

In this complex context, the John Paul II Hospital played a key role, providing a point of reference for the population of the sub-prefecture. Despite the clashes and violence, the hospital has always continued to operate and provide support.

Our project starts with the John Paul II Hospital with the intention of increasing its capacity to respond adequately to the needs and requirements of the population. Before our intervention, the facility did not have a proper emergency room in which to receive urgent patients. Now the renovation and extension work on the premises is almost complete and by the end of the project – December 2022 – it is also planned to provide the emergency department with all the necessary furniture and machinery.

Another deficiency found within the hospital concerned the nutritional aspect: a triple problem considering that most of the patients are in a serious state of malnutrition upon admission, that food is necessary to ensure a proper course of treatment and rehabilitation, and that most of those who come from the neighbouring villages, once they arrive in the city, do not have the possibility of buying anything at the local market due to the excessively high prices.

For these reasons, it was decided to build a canteen to provide three full meals a day – based on cereals, meat or fish – for the in-patients, who can thus follow a correct diet and sufficient caloric intake to aid their recovery. The canteen service is also offered to relatives from afar who care for patients in severe need. Currently, more than 2250 meals per month are provided.

In order to improve the quality of the hospital’s services, it was necessary to train 38 in-service health workers in specialist disciplines such as obstetrics and ophthalmology. The training courses are already leading to a significant improvement in hospital performance.

One of the most ambitious components of our intervention is the strengthening of the medical centres located in the villages surrounding Bossemptélé, where services are almost non-existent. Thanks to the AICS-funded project, we have rehabilitated – or in some cases built from scratch – several postes de santé, each of which has a well with access to drinking water. The work is almost complete and the population of the villages of Gbawi, Bodangui, Bombalou and Yangoro already has access to basic health services, without having to make the journey to the city of Bossemptélé, unless strictly necessary for the treatment of more complex illnesses.

Not only qualitative reinforcement of the hospital and postes de santé, but also a mobile clinic service that, twice a week, visits the most difficult-to-reach villages, providing treatment and health education with awareness-raising meetings on prevention and first aid.

Thanks to the support of AICS, our work in the Central African Republic has reached new heights that we hope will mark the beginning of a better life for many people living in the sub-prefecture of Bossemptélé.

This article was produced within the framework of the project Health and Nutrition for the Vulnerable Population of the Subprefecture of Bossemptélé AID 05/RCA/12049/2021 funded by the Italian Development Cooperation Agency. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency. The Italian Development Cooperation Agency is not responsible for information that is considered erroneous, incomplete, inadequate, defamatory or in any way reprehensible.

In Pakistan for social and economic inclusion

Pakistan, despite progress and economic growth, faces significant challenges related to poverty and inequality in the social and economic inclusion of the most vulnerable people, particularly in rural districts.

An example, is Okara district in the north of the country, where agriculture and livestock breeding are the main activities, but without generating income for small landowners and livestock breeders who, due to low productivity, can barely meet their family’s food needs through the crops.

Thanks to the funding from Caritas Italiana, incollaboration with the Camillian Lay Family (FLC), last November we launched a Micro-project to promote the social and economic inclusion of families in this District.
Three families in extreme need have been identified: large families, with a lack of income and without support from the local administration, who do not have access to enough food for their basic needs.

The Micro-project works directly to improve their livelihoods and their social and economic inclusion in the community.
Firstly, three buffaloes for milk production were provided to the families to support them. Through training courses, they acquired technical and practical skills, needed for animal husbandry and for the processes of extracting and maintaining milk.

Pakistan

Part of the milk produced is used to feed the families, while a part is sold in the local market, thus ensuring a source of income.

Secondly, a local expert trainer provides training, involving families and the community, on the importance of dairy products as a source of animal protein and a preferred food in the daily diet. Awareness-raising sessions on food and nutrition safety have been also organised, in which information materials distributed showing some good food practices in a simple and straightforward way.

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