Medical Service (Jeevaka Hospital)

Jeevaka Hospital shares its history with the Sujata Academy. Its beginning was a first aid station for the construction workers building the Sujata Academy, treating injured workers.

After the school construction was completed, it was made into a first-aid room but swarmed with nearby villagers seeking medicare services, it interfered with academic classes as Dongheswari was out of reach of government services such as education and medicare services. For the villagers, this small first-aid room was the only medical service available to them to entrust their lives. In 1995, cholera epidemic swept through the villages and the infected people started to crowd the first aid room. Classes were suspended and patients were treated in the hallways and classrooms. Finally, in 2001, a two storey hospital building was built with fundings from KOICA and was named 'Jeevaka Hospital.'

Main facilities

Reception: 8am-9am

Daily Outpatients : 20 - 200

Pharmacy: Local volunteers prepare homeopathic medicine prescribed by the doctor

Medical Examination Room: 7 local doctors on rotation in the morning.

Dressing Room: For external wounds and emergency treatments

Inpatient Ward: For emergency patients

X-Ray Room: X-Ray for TB patients

Blood Test Room

Rest Room : for hospital staff

TB Treatment Room: TB Convalescence for new patients

Hall: Reserved for large scale epidemic or for events

Diseases of Dongheswari

Centred around a mountain ridge called 'Dongheswari Hill,' approximately 10,000 villagers are scattered around 16 villagers. This region has short supply of water and unable to produce cash crops, most residents work off farm owner's land or are day labourers. Without access to education, over 85% of residents are illiterate and as a consequence, means to financial improvements in their livelihood are restricted.

In terms of health, it is the epicentre of cholera and TB, leprosy are commonly found, as well as people suffering from eye, ear, skin diseases. Most females marry before reaching the age of 15 and are exposed to maternal diseases and many die without even knowing the causes of illness.

According to a TB expert, 50% of world TB patients are in India and in areas such as Dongheswari, upto 50% infection rate and 20% occurance. Taking into account the 10,000 population, we can expect up to 2000 patients but currently, there are only 30 patients under treatment.

Many patients are illiterate and some cannot even read numbers - it is difficult to raise their awareness of the importance of taking anti-TB medication and living with their family in inadequately ventilated homes, there are cases where the disease has spread to entire family members.

In a paternal family the sole source of income is the male and some patients are leaving to the work place in order to earn. Despite the circumstance, the cost of medication for TB is prohibitive and many die without even a chance for treatment. More so, the state of nutritional deficiency forces them to obtain nutritional supplements, further aggravating the treatment cost.