FUNDED BY: TVO
Health and Education Infrastructure Development (HEID) entails support of ADO to the health and education service providers to improve concerned infrastructure so that communities should be able to benefit more.This component is based of health and education service models in rural communities.
Taking health in the first instance, in 2003, ADO established a Mother and Child Health Center in a local village (150 TDA) with financial assistance from Trust for Voluntary Organizations. This facility adequately handles general ailments and mothers' safe delivery. It benefits around 4,200 patients per month. It also provides for DNC, different lab tests and vaccination. Presently, there is a qualified doctor, lady health visitor and a trained birth attendant working at this MCH.ADO pumped in 500,000 rupees in this health infrastructure.
Under HEID, ADO also provided support to the five Basic Health Units (BHUs) located in the union councils Ladhana, Layyah, Thal Jhandi, Jaman Shah and Sarishta Thal for up-gradation. With that assistance, the doctors' rooms were repaired, waiting rooms were upgraded, generators were provided and a Rural Health Center at Jaman Shahn was provided with an X-Ray Machine, Ultra Sound facility, ECG Machine and a fully equipped Birth Station Center.
As for the education sector, ADO helped improve the physical infrastructure of 21 girls and boys primary schools in Jaman Shah, Sarishta Thal, Chowk Azam (rural) and Ladhana union councils. The infrastructure included construction of boundary walls, installation of water pumps, seating arrangements for 2,350 male and female students, repair of classrooms, and construction of washrooms, etc. The overall financial support from ADO rendered to the education infrastructure is estimated Rs 11,783,805.
A part from up-gradation of schools, ADO also established a learning school system in 2005 with the financial assistance of the Embassy of Japan. Deprived and ultra poor students of community are selected for quality modern education in this school. Initially, 75 students were enrolled. However, seven years down the road, the strength of the admissions today is 700 male and female students. This school focuses international curriculum and trainings of teachers and is equipped with a computer lab. It also has a stated policy of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities for all children. The school is situated at 148-B TDA.
Union Council Jaman Shah is located remotely in district Layyah. It is comparatively densely populated sandy terrain. Majority of the vulnerable 5500 inhabitants living here are connected to agricultural activities for livelihood.
ADO formulated its health related intervention at Jaman Shah because the only Basic Health Unit located here was surviving barely. It had negligible medical equipments and medicines. Then the government declared this BHU a Rural Health Center (RHC) and health administration deputed some additional medical staff here. But it still had no boundary wall, adequate rooms and wards, equipment and even ambulance and technical staff. As the result of this, the RHC did not perform to its potential. In December 2011, ADO and SAP-PK collaborated to improve the facility.
“ADO provided us with boundary wall, water dispenser, incubator, cardiographer and 25 beds.This is a blessing for we are now getting free quality treatment here. The arrangements have saved us precious time, energies, expenses of transportation and cost of medication, and, above all, life of women and children”, one of the female beneficiaries of RHC shared her views in a recent interaction with staff of ADO.
Dr. Aziz Ahmad Klasra, who is in-charge of this RHC, informed that he had requested the high officials many a times for the facilities and equipment but hardly any support could arrive. So, he was thankful to ADO and SAP-PK for practically chipping in support for the benefit of 100 to 200 patients every day and discouraging the practices of the quacks which otherwise run unchecked in union councils Jaman Shah, Jhakkar and, Sarishta Thal.