Corporate Responsibility

Tackling health issues

Low life expectancy, an incredibly high child mortality rate, and 32% of people living below the international poverty line, all contribute to making healthcare a critical issue for India’s people and for India’s growth as a nation. Bearing this is mind we have supported many health initiatives over a number of years and hope to continue to do so in a systematic and sustainable manner.

Lifeline Express

Run by the non-profit Impact India Foundation, developed in collaboration with Indian Railways and the Health Ministry, Lifeline Express is a unique and innovative healthcare solution that uses a fully equipped medical train to take healthcare to rural areas with limited local resources. Punj Lloyd provided financial support for the project which is able to provide on-the-spot diagnostic, medical and advanced surgical treatment for preventive and curative interventions. The initiative also seeks to improve the efficiency of the existing local government and voluntary health infrastructure and services, as well as providing initiative and encouragement for the local bodies to get involved in all aspects of the programme and provide follow-up services after the train has left.

Barsana eye and dental camp

Cataract is the main cause of blindness in the world. Although it is fully operable, it often goes untreated amongst India’s poorest people due to the unaffordable cost of operations. Punj Lloyd supported the annual eye and dental camp at Barsana in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, organised by Bhaktivedanta hospital, a non-governmental organisation owned by Sri Chaitanya Seva Trust. The organisation has been delivering free community health programmes for the poor since 1992 and its annual camp attracts patients from across Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Ten Ophthalmic surgeons, 50 para-medical staff and 200 volunteers work at the camp. Villagers are screened for eye and dental ailments and over 1000 cataract surgeries are performed. The camp provides food and shelter to patients and their families for three days, as well as free dark glasses and medicines to those who have undergone surgery.

Village based initiatives

As part of our village development programmes, we have provided sustainable, long-term health access for local people within each programme. In Sitamarhi, we have established a permanent 20-bed hospital with a resident general physician and gynecologist as well as visiting surgeons and ophthalmologists. The hospital also runs a mobile medical outreach facility for those who are unable to reach the hospital, treating up to 200 people per day, seven times each month.

In Bap, we have initiated healthcare access for each family attached to the taankas we are constructing. A doctor visits each of the families once a month to assess any general medical conditions and pregnant women are registered with local pre and post-natal facilities to address the high infant mortality rate and frequent ill-health of new mothers.