Voluntary Health Agencies in India

There are several voluntary health agencies working in India since pre-independence period of time. Initially the health services started in India with some voluntary groups, for instance, the missionaries from other countries provided services for children, women, and patients suffering from leprosy, some of which are still playing a major role in the health care programmes in the country.

Voluntary Health Agencies in India

Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI)

VHAI was established in 1970 as a registered, non-profit society. It is an association of twenty seven State’s Voluntary Health Associations and links more than 4500 institutions, which are contributing to the health development in the country. They advocate the policies, which are public-centric for dynamic program management and health planning in India. They have supported and initiated innovative and novel programs focusing on the health and development at the grass root level with the active involvement of people.

They strive to bring a strong and sturdy healthcare movement in India for a developing, cost-effective, preventive, and reformative health system. VHAIs are accountable for a responsible private and public health sector and quality service. They promote various health issues related to rights and comprehensive development of people.

Following are its goals and objectives:

• To make health development, a reality for the people of India
  
  
• To promote and strengthen a medically rational, economically sustainable, and culturally acceptable health care system in the country
  
  
• To ensure equity, social justice, and human rights in the provision and distribution of health care services to all, with focus on the less privileged population
  
  
• To develop innovative and sustainable strategies to ensure health and overall community development in the remote and vulnerable areas, through various grass-root level initiatives

Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS)

IRCS was formed in 1920 and operates with the help of organisations at national and international levels. Presently, it has above four hundred functioning branches in India. It provides training to the community members in various medical procedures and also focuses on some health issues.

Following are its major functions:

• Providing relief operations during disasters like wars, earthquakes, floods or famine. For example, collecting and distributing clothes and food to the affected people.
  
  
• Supplying medicines, vitamin supplements, milk, etc. to the hospitals and dispensaries. It also provides services related to family planning.
  
  
• Assisting in relevant research related activities and offering scholarships to nurses for their upgrade.
  
  
• Offering first aid emergency training with the help of its branch i.e. ‘St John Ambulance Association for men and home nursing courses for women’.
  
  
• Providing blood bank facility to the people.
  
  
• Publishing and distributing informative material related to mother and child care.

Indian Red Cross Society has 35 state association regions divisions, along with their 700 locale and sub-area divisions. The overseeing body is accountable for the administration and management of the elements of the general public via various number of advisory groups. Impartiality, neutrality, humanity, independence, unity, voluntary benefits and universality are the fundamental principles of Red Cross Society.

Indian Leprosy Association (Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh)

Indian Leprosy Association is a prestigious agency devoted to the cure and rehabilitation of patients suffering from leprosy. Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is a chronic infection, which is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. There are approximately 40, 00, 000 diseased patients in India. The phobia regarding the disease was particularly remarkable and therefore, the mass scale treatment and restoration program moved the diseased individuals, with the formation of Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh, on an all India level in 1949. Hon’ble Leader of India is the Leader of the Association and affiliation health minister is the Chairman.

It provides financial assistance to various leprosy clinics and homes, and conducts research and field investigation and training of medical workers. The association has many branches in the country, which operate in collaboration with the government and several other voluntary organisations. It arranges ‘All India Leprosy Workers’ conferences and also publishes a quarterly journal Leprosy in India. It renders healthcare education through informative posters and publications.

Following are the present activities of Sangh:

• Producing and distributing the material for health education and awareness about leprosy
  
  
• Publishing the Indian Journal of Leprosy quarterly and a news bulletin ‘Kusht Vinashak’ biannually for the leprosy workers as well as general population  Producing and distributing the ‘leprosy seals’ to make the people aware about leprosy and assist other agencies to raise funds for their activities by selling these seals
  
  
• Observing 30th January as Anti-Leprosy Day every year to spread general awareness regarding leprosy
  
  
• Conducting training courses for the duration of nine months at two training centres for leprosy in the country, one in Naini, Uttar Pradesh and other in Purulia, West Bengal
  
  To organize ‘All India Leprosy Worker’s and Regional Leprosy Worker’s Conferences’ in association with the other branches in the state and voluntary agencies
  
  
• To support leprosy patients and other voluntary associations
  
  
• To maintain a house known as ‘Shanthi Illam’ at Vellore in Tamil Nadu, where free boarding and lodging facilities are provided to the leprosy patients coming for surgical treatment at CMC College and Hospital.
  
  
• To run two mobile leprosy treatment units funded by the government of India in two districts of Delhi.

Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW)

Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) was established in 1952 and is affiliated to ‘International Union for Child Welfare’. Its activities are focused on securing those facilities and opportunities that will help in the physical, moral, psychological, social, and spiritual development of the children in a normal and healthy manner, with freedom and dignity. Ever since its establishment, it has created a networking matrix of the district and state councils across the country.

It is an association working on the following:

• To advocate children’s rights
• Crèches for children of working and ailing mothers
• To organise training programs for child care workers
• Sponsoring underprivileged children for school education
• To scrutinize adoption cases
• To rehabilitate abandoned children
• To provide institutional and day care services for differently-abled children
• To run programs for children living in difficult circumstances
• To run programs with a special emphasis on girl child
• To run support services and education centres
• To honour child artists
• To honour children for bravery
• To organise adventure/National Integration camps

Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB)

Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) is a semi-official organisation that was instituted in 1953 by the Government of India. Its establishment was the first attempt by the government to start a non-government organisation that would operate voluntarily. Its main aim was to operate as a connection between the people and the government. Its major functions are:

• To survey the requirements of voluntary welfare agencies in India
  
  
• To synchronize and systematise welfare activities of the different departments of the state governments
  
  
• To provide financial assistance to the voluntary social organisations to extend their welfare services throughout the country, especially in remote and underprivileged areas.

In 1963, CSWB assumed the status of an autonomous organisation and started ‘Family and Child Welfare Services’ in the rural regions for children and women. Important services under the project include upskilling the women through crafts, balwadis, distributing milk, and developing play areas for children.

In the urban region, a scheme was initiated by the board to teach activities like sewing, tailoring, etc. to the lower middle class women with the cooperation of the industries, so that they can work and assist their families. In 1954, ‘The State Social Welfare Boards’ was formed in all of the states as well as the union territories with an objective to coordinate and systematise the developmental and welfare services managed by the several state government departments to assist voluntary organisations to expand their welfare activities all over the country.

The main schemes initiated by the board included the provision of compendious services to the community in a united way. Some schemes and projects undertaken by the board include ‘Mahila Mandals, Dairy Scheme, Welfare Extension Projects, Grant in Aid, Socio Economic Programme, Awareness Generation Programme, Condensed Education Programme for adolescent girls and women, Short Stay Home Programme, National Creche Scheme, Integrated Scheme for Women’s Empowerment for North Eastern States, Vocational Training Programme, Innovative Projects and Family Counselling Centre Programme.’

In 1983, ‘Family Counselling Centre (FCC)’ scheme was initiated by the board to help the children and women, who are the victims of family maladjustments, atrocities, and social expulsion by providing counselling and rehabilitative services. In the cases of manmade or natural catastrophes, it imparts counselling services for crisis and trauma management. It works in collaboration with police, legal cells, courts, local administration, vocational training centres, healthcare and psychiatric organisations, etc. on the principle of ‘People’s Participation’.

Since its inception it has made outstanding contributions for the weaker and underprivileged people through its welfare and developmental programs. It has also done significant work to empower children and women. The board is continuously analysing and exploring contemporary and innovative channels to meet the changing social pattern to formulate the suitable action plans.

Kasturba Memorial Fund

It was established in 1944 after the death of Smt. Kasturba Gandhi in her reminiscence. It raise the funds to help and serve rural masses through gram sevikas, mainly in the field of health and welfare of rural women and children working in a variety of difficult terrains all over the country from dense forests of North-east states to snow clad Himachal Pradesh.

Family Planning Association of India (FPAI)

Instituted in 1949, FPAI is headquartered in Mumbai. It has done a tremendous work to promote family planning programs in the country by working in collaboration with the government. It has now various branches throughout the country, which disseminate information on family life and sex, along with a broad range of services in ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights’ for bringing health and happiness.

It works on the following:

• Education of school, college students, and youth workers
• Helps the couples to plan spacing and number of children
• Organises conferences, seminars, and workshop
• Set up family life and marriage counselling
• Address reproductive and sexual concerns
• Focuses on sex instruction, advising, inquiring, preparing/treatment (SECRT)
• Specialised services on family life, marriage and sex counselling.
• Prevention and counselling of STI/STD/AIDS
• Training courses and workshops on human sexuality

All India Women’s Conference (AIWC)

Born in 1927, AIWC is the oldest national women’s organisation in India. It focuses on education, liberation and empowerment of women. Its major functions include developmental and welfare activities for children and women and to spread awareness about the fundamental rights of the women. Their objective is to create a society for women, where they don’t have to suffer from any type of violence. They run computer centres, training programs, hostels for working women, vocational training centres, etc.

It has conducted activities in the field of health, education, and self-employment and also undertaken employment orientated training programs. With its dedication towards the upliftment and betterment of women and children, they have started a literacy campaign through non-formal education for girls, who have dropped out of school and a vocational training program for adult women through its 530 branches all over India.

All India Blind Relief Society

Instituted in the year 1946, All India Blind Relief society coordinates activities of various organisations working for the visually challenged people. Society organises eye check-up, relief camps, and other interventions for the relief of the blind.