Safeguarding the health of 3.05 lakh children.
About Panacea project
A comprehensive school Health Monitoring Program
Initiated in the year 2015 This is a comprehensive school health project for the residential educational institutions in the Social, Tribal and BC welfare societies in the state of Telangana with 3.5 lakh students from over 600 institutions across the state of Telangana.
In the above context, SIF believes that every child’s life is precious and deprived children need to be provided with the best possible healthcare services with absolutely no economic burden on poor parents.
Initiated in the year 2015 SIF’s ‘Panacea Health 24X7’ is a comprehensive school health monitoring program for the residential educational institutions in the Social, Tribal and BC welfare societies in the state of Telangana. Under this program. Comprehensive health screening camps are conducted to get a full health record of the students to monitor their nutrition and early detection of any signs of diseases. The program includes early diagnosis and timely intervention for effective treatment. Referral of sick children to appropriate treatment centres 24/7 and 365 days.
Panacea Command Centre
The Panacea Command Centre uses technology, efficiently; to capture real-time data on various parameters of health, hygiene and sanitation of students. A dynamic dashboard with historical as well as real time data is available to the stakeholders for emergency as well as planned interventions, for student’s health and well-being. The program has also been strengthened by a dedicated toll-free 24X7 healthcare helpline service, for emergency support.
Significance:
“According to the ‘Food and Nutrition Security Analysis, India, 2019’ report authored by the Government of India and the United Nations World Food Programme:
- Over 40% of children from Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) are stunted.
- Close to 40% of children from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) are stunted.
Children’s health and nutrition is a complex and multi-dimensional issue. And the deficiencies are primarily caused by several factors, including poverty, inadequate food consumption, inequitable food distribution, improper maternal, infant and child feeding, and care practices, inequity and gender imbalances, poor sanitary and environmental conditions, and restricted access to quality health, education and social care services. The lack of nutrition, health monitoring and access to medical facilities, in their formative years can reduce their mental as well as physical development and condemn them to live in the margins of society. These disadvantaged children are likely to do poorly in school and subsequently have low incomes, high fertility, and provide poor care for their children continuing the intergenerational transmission of poverty and malnutrition.”
Impact:
350,000 students from over 600 institutions across the state of Telangana, from academic year 2015-16 onwards to till date (i.e., November 2022)
Future Possibilities:
SIF’s Panacea Health 24X7 program has umpteen possibilities of carrying out long term sustainable interventions in the areas of:
- Menstrual hygiene
- Eye care
- Oral hygiene
- Nutritional interventions (to control and curb anemia)
- Emotional wellness (reference the post Covid experiences of bedwetting observed under pre-adolescent students, and cases of anxiety and suicidal tendencies, etc. observed amongst adolescent students).
- Education for sexual well-being (good touch, bad touch)
The future of a nation depends considerably on the health of its children and child health has always been a priority for SIF. We monitor the health of more than 3.05 lakh marginalized children 24X7 and 365 days. Regrettably, even in the 21st century, marginalized children lack universal access to quality healthcare services and experience multiple and complex health disadvantages.
The majority of children of poor socioeconomic backgrounds are malnourished and stunted. SIF had launched‘PANACEA COMMAND CENTRE’ 24X7 in partnership with the Government of Telangana with an objective of providing comprehensive round with the clock healthcare services to more than 3 lakh marginalized children studying in Government’s Social, Tribal, BC and Minority Residential Educational Institutions. Our core focus is on strengthening healthcare services in Welfare Residential Educational Institutions to improve the quality and accessibility towards lowering disease burden and providing effective healthcare.
Vision of Panacea
Every child’s life is very precious and deprived children need to be provided with the best possible healthcare services with absolutely no economic burden on poor parents We conduct comprehensive health screening camps in Telangana Social, Tribal and BC welfare residential schools and have robust referral and monitoring systems where the sick children are helped in every step till they get appropriate health care at the right time.
Activities of Panacea
Health Camps
Health Screening Camps
Comprehensive health screening camps are conducted to get a full health record of the students to monitor their nutrition and early detection of any signs of diseases.
Early Diagnosis and Treatment.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Early diagnosis and timely intervention for effective treatment. Referral of sick children to appropriate treatment centres 24/7 and 365 days
Real Time Health Monitoring
Panacea Health 24/7 Helpline
The capture of real-time data on the health status of children and sanitation. Toll-Free healthcare helpline services 24/7
