Community Outreach
We intend to rise higher in our society, only by ensuring that our medical expertise percolates to all the sections of the community, around us.
Urban Health Training Centre
Urban Health Training Centre(UHTC) is located 2 km away from the medical college in the midst of Pratiksha nagar slums, F-North ward of Mumbai, catering to a population of more than 43000 people in approximately 10000 households. UHTC is a collaborative effort between Department of Community Medicine, K.J. Somaiya Medical College and Ramakrishna Sarada Samiti.
Services Provided
- General OPD services are provided from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm.
- Specialist services such as Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Ophthalmology are provided on weekly basis and dermatology on a monthly basis.
- Laboratory services are provided at a subsidised rate.
- Preventive and promotive health services are provided at Under Five Clinic and Well Woman Clinic. Immunization OPD is conducted twice a month.
- Health education on cervical cancer and breast cancer is given to women in the community and they are motivated to undergo Clinical breast examination and Pap smear test.
- The community members are counselled and offered screening services for early detection of hypertension and diabetes.
- A weekly non-communicable disease (NCD) clinic is held for hypertensive and diabetic patients where medicines are provided at highly subsidised rate.
- Beneficiaries of under five clinic, antenatal clinic and well women clinic, NCD clinic are followed up through home visits or through telephonic call.
- Telephonic calls are made to the parents of the children who are due for the next dose of vaccine, to remind them for follow up for immunization.
- A comprehensive school health check up programme is conducted for the benefit of about 3200 school children in a private government aided school. In addition all children of 7th, 8th, and 9th standard receive health education on nutrition, harmful effects of tobacco and HIV-AIDS
- Vocational training like tailoring, computer, beautician, and spoken English courses are conducted at UHTC by Ramakrishna Sarada Samiti.
Somaiya Action for HIV AIDS Support (SAHAS)
SAHAS was started by Patricia Gokhale in October 2003 under the K. J. Somaiya Medical Trust in response to the great need for sensitive hospital care for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). At that time about 15 PLHIV were admitted each month to the various wards in the K. J. Somaiya Hospital (KJSH), mostly from the slum areas of Pratiksha Nagar and Panchsheel Nagar. The Somaiya Hospital was the only private hospital to provide treatment to poor PLHIV without isolating them because of their status. Up to January 2017 SAHAS registered 2680 patients: 929 males and 1203 female with 538 children.
SAHAS provides psycho-social and home-based counseling, gives children supplementary nutrition and educational support, facilitates skill training for women specially widows, helping them access Government welfare schemes and arranges treatment through KJSH. Since 2004 SAHAS has provided supplementary nutrition for children, as availability of food is a big challenge especially for orphans living with relatives who are reluctant to look after them. Presently 316 are provided with monthly supplementary nutrition to help them improving their immunity level and keep them away from opportunistic illnesses.
SAHAS provides school supplies like note books, school bags to all infected and affected children who are registered with SAHAS once in every academic year. SAHAS also works closely with pregnant HIV positive women to ensure that their babies are born free of the virus. It focuses on HIV prevention by targeting adolescent youth in schools and colleges. In collaboration with the Department of Community Medicine, SAHAS is able to conduct life skills training for adolescent youth.
SAHAS networks with other NGOs and make avail the services, which SAHAS can’t provide. SAHAS has developed an excellent rapport with several organizations with whom it works to provide more services for its clients like income generating skill training, legal assistance, extra medical assistance, positive marriages etc.
Rural Health Training Centre at Dhirubai Ambani Hospital, Lodhivali
Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC)at Dhirubai Ambani Hospital (DAH), Lodhivali, is a collaborative project with Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. DAH is located 50 Km away from K. J. Somaiya Medical College in Lodhivali village in Khalapur Taluka in Raigarh district. DAH Lodhivali campus has a residential township to accommodate students and staff. One month residential posting for interns is done. Community health education activities are undertaken in collaboration with Primary Health Care staff, anganwadi staff and other NGOs.
Overview of Outreach Services
Breast Cancer Screening Program
Awareness is created about breast cancer. Women are motivated to undergo screening for breast cancer (Clinical Breast Examination) and Mammography. Women are motivated to do monthly Self Breast Examination. Women with suspicious lesions are followed up for diagnosis and management
Non Communicable Disease Screening Program
Awareness is created about the risk factors for chronic diseases. Health education is given to modify risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles. Individuals aged 25 years and above from the community are referred for screening of Hypertension and Diabetes. Those detected with raised blood pressure and raised blood sugar are further advised to complete their examination and those diagnosed are initiated on treatment at the UHTC or referred to their physician.
Infant and Young Children Nutrition Training
Women are educated about breastfeeding and care of infants in the ward. In addition to sensitization in PNC ward the mothers are reoriented to the correct infant and young child feeding practices during their visits in immunization clinics and through phone follow up.
Somaiya's Project of Adolescent and Reproductive and Sexual Health
Adolescent girls and boys (15 to 19 years) are empowered with correct knowledge and attitude towards various issues related to family life and reproductive health.
School Health Education Program of Somaiya
Knowledge on various food groups, balanced diet, causes and prevention of anaemia is imparted to VII standard students. Knowledge regarding harmful effects of tobacco use and the prevention of tobacco abuse is imparted to VIII standard students. Knowledge regarding problems due to population explosion, changes during adolescence, HIV/AIDS is imparted to IX standard students. The training methodology is activity based.
Child to Child and Community Training Program
Community reach out of knowledge about Nutrition, Diarrhoea, Immunization, Personal and environmental hygiene, menstrual hygiene, harmful effects of tobacco is done through training volunteer child leaders during school vacations.
Arogya Sevak Training Program
Girls from rural areas and urban slum area who have completed 10th standard are trained to equip them with skills for domiciliary care and to function as nursing aide in hospital or as a health worker in the community.
School health check-up
Health check-up of children at Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil School located at Pratikshanagar is done for Nursery, Junior KG, Senior KG, 2nd, 4th, 6th and 10th std Students.
