CARING FOR LIFE with AWARENESS FOR A HEALTHY LIFE
Max Foundation
Max Group, a multi-business conglomerate is centred around its
core strength ‘Businesses of Life’ and focussed on the values of
Sevabhav, Excellence and Credibility. As the Corporate Social
Responsibility arm of the Max Group, Max India Foundation (MIF) has
been committed to improving the quality of life for the underprivileged on
the healthcare platform with care and concern.
MIF has been supporting programmes that improve access to quality
Healthcare for the underprivileged population.
Guided by its vision of “Caring for Life” Max India Foundation has
benefitted over 3.5 million people in 814 locations from the underserved
communities across the country in partnership with more than 452 NGOs.
Farida Anjum (Supervisor Dhakrani Unit); I am happy that this initiative has not only helped me but also many other women. It is just not a job, but a medium to encourage hygiene amongst women. Many of them were reluctant, but with constant counselling and awareness, they have started using pads made by us
MIF has played a key role in transforming the lives of many under-served
people, with important health-related initiatives.
It provides health guidelines to underprivileged who have limited
information. It empowers individuals with the knowledge to choose healthy
habits and make modifications in lifestyle which reduce misery.
Some of the important areas covered include Health & Hygiene,
Hand Washing, Menstrual Hygiene, Oral Hygiene, Nutrition, Dengue,
Breastfeeding, Anemia, Tobacco Sensitization, Immunization and Cancer.
The pan India immunisation programme and health awareness mobile
clinics which it conducts through numerous camps, have certainly had
the desired outcome.
The health camps in schools also ensure
active
participation by school teachers, as they find physically fit children produce
better results and higher attendance. The Max doctor, who accompanies
the team in the van, also undertakes, dental and eye checkups for students
in addition to immunisation. One of the camps seen at Adarsh Prathmik
Vidyalaya, Sector 5, Noida, was well attended and the children and teachers
showed a keen interest and participated in the activities.
The use of
traditional communication methods, like puppet
shows, have been able to drive home the point successfully
amongst the children. The effective use of audiovisual and flip
books especially for bringing about awareness of tobacco product
consumption is well received by the community.
As a result of the interventions, incidence of the disease
has significantly reduced (up to 30%) through Health
Awareness Activities.
The Science lab renovation and apparatus have been donated by MIF. The apparatus has been a major attraction for students at Government Girl's School, Dhakrani . The children love to spend time at the lab as most of their inquisitive questions are answered by teachers with practical examples using the equipment donated by MIF.
MIF has done pioneering work in helping the poor and needy in the treatment of cancer. The Max Hospitals have been providing treatment to children and youth, free of cost. The initiative has been appreciated for giving relief and new hope to the beneficiaries and their families. Alka Saini a two-year-old from Nalanda in Bihar, was diagnosed with skin cancer. After running around various hospitals in the state, they found comfort at Max Hospital, where MIF intervened to help by offering free of cost treatment. “I would not have been able to provide treatment without the help of MIF. I will be ever grateful for their support. I got some money from the Chief Minister Relief Fund, but that was not enough. Cankids an NGO working for children with cancer guided us to MIF,” says the patient's father Rakesh Kumar Saini, a daily wage earner from Nalanda, Bihar.
MIF has played a key role in taking forward the cleanliness campaign at Dhakrani. It has donated two tractors with trolleys to collect garbage from the area. This has helped residents to keep the surroundings clean
MIF has played an important role in creating awareness about hygiene in the adopted village of Dehradun. In addition, the process has created an opportunity for women in villages to be economically self-sufficient, which has inspired others to follow the model created by MIF. The Sanitary napkin pad manufacturing centre at Dhakrani village is a success story of MIF's intervention in promoting menstrual hygiene and economic independence amongst women in the village. The low-cost pad manufacturing machinery has been donated by MIF. On an average they produce 100 pads in a day. These are sold to nearby shops and women have also begun to purchase directly from the unit.
Another important intervention which has been applauded by the educationists in the area is the novel Science Lab set up by MIF in the Government school.A key MIF contribution has been in the area of solid waste management in Dhakrani for regular garbage collection. This has become successful following the concerted efforts of the MIF volunteers and officials in creating awareness to keep the houses and streets clean. MIF has provided 2000 houses with two different coloured bins to keep the solid and wet waste separately. The tractor-trolley donated by MIF has helped in the collection of waste and its segregation. The organic waste is effectively converted into manure to be used by the farmers.
This boy lost both his legs in an accident. The doctors and the physiotherapists at the camp, organised by MIF, helped him in securing proper artificial limbs and in acclimatization over the next few days at the camp.
In addition, under its major Sanitation
and Sewage project
a five-phase sewage treatment project is underway in the area.
The model involves collection of wastewater and sewage. The
wastewater is diverted through pipelines while the sewage is
sent to the treatment plant. The farmers find the treated water
to be useful for irrigation purposes.
The skill building program at
Dhakrani has been adopted
enthusiastically by the community. It is aimed at helping those
who could not complete their education or did not have the
required confidence to look for a job. The centre is very popular
among youngsters. Besides basic English speaking, Math and
Computer skills, the 6 month training program also offers
them Soft Skills training. The students have learnt to become
extroverts and are able to carry out effective communication
when they reach out for job opportunities.
A small park has also been created by MIF. It is used by people in the nearby houses to play with their children in the evening and also to hold their local meetings.
Ranju (on left of the picture) is an English teacher for Classes 6-8. Monika Sharma (right of the picture) is Maths teacher and both have been sponsored by MIF. The students are happy to learn these two subjects, for which previously there were no teachers.
The regular health camps are organised by MIF at Rail Majra. In March 2019 MIF organised a camp to provide artificial limbs and polio callipers. The camp at Rail Majra, led by the MIF CEO Mohini Daljeet Singh along with an army of dedicated volunteers, benefited, not only people from the state of Punjab but also attracted many others from neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. The beneficiaries are required to first register, and then get the size of their limbs measured after which the limb is made on the spot and fitted by Manav Seva Sannidhi, an NGO that procures artificial limbs manufatured by Jaipur Foot Organisation (Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti).
The beneficiaries are also provided a place to stay for three days at the camp to get acclimatised with their new artificial limbs, before they get on with their lives and with a renewed confidence. The whole process is done free of cost, that includes their lodging, food and medicines.
The sewage waste management system has had a direct bearing on the lives of people in Dhakrani.
The free health clinic which has been set up at this village, has been a boon for many poor people in the area. It has helped them save the travel time, cost and the effort of rushing to the nearest Government hospital which is 10 km away, besides paying for the costly medicines. The health centre is open from 10 AM to 1 PM on all weekdays. The women visiting the clinic were highly appreciative of the way Doctors, Paramedics and Pharmacists treated them. The free consultation and medicine to women and children is well received by the people of Rail Majra.The initiative to help education for girl students in the area has met with tremendous success.
MIF has provided a Maths and English teacher to the Government Girls School in Rail Majra. It has resulted in not only their passing these subjects, but also improved the overall pass percentage of the school. MIF has also set up RO water dispenser and funded the construction of a wall around the school. The computers donated by MIF to the school, help students learn basic computer skills. The intervention has been a catalyst in inspiring many students to choose software engineering as their career option!
Mohini Daljeet Singh
CEO – Max India Foundation
Over the years Max has set a benchmark in CSR activities. What are the big takeaways?
Yes indeed, over the years,
Max has set up a benchmark in
CSR activities.
Max India Foundation started
its CSR journey well before it
was mandated by the Companies
Act. Max has proved to be an organisation that actually does
significant CSR and not just talks
about it. We have allowed our
work to speak for itself .
Having decided to address
the Healthcare platform , we
went about in an organised and
planned manner addressing
every aspect of it in order to
create holistic impact. From
preventive health, health
awareness, screening and
curative health, we managed
a 360 degree approach. In this
endeavour we have impacted
about 35 lac lives, not counting
all the family members who
benefit from a life saved.
Whether our patients were little
babies who needed to have their
hearts repaired, or young women
shocked to find they had cancer,
sole earning members or elderly
parents we got them all treated
with compassionate care.
How critical has been awareness initiatives undertaken by MIF over the years?
Health Awareness issues have been critical for Max India Foundation. We realise that most health issues are a result of ignorance and lack of awareness. With awareness, 60% of the disease burden can be avoided. As it is, there is a shortage of hospitals and health facilities, and to top it, most people cannot afford treatment once diagnosed. Awareness of the extreme ill effects of tobacco can prevent a lot of oral and lung cancer. Similarly taking precautions to keep the environment free from stagnant water can prevent dengue. When a person is struggling for two square meals, he does not focus on these imperatives, but must be made to for his own good and that of the nation. Therefore, imparting health awareness has been a major initiative.
What outcomes from the Max India Foundation (MIF) intervention have given satisfaction to the MIF team and you personally.?
When you speak of which
outcomes give the MIF team
and myself most satisfaction,
I would say these are at two
levels.
First, saving a life or
getting a person successfully
treated who could not
dream of the funds for such
treatment -- such as cancer
patients, accident victims,
children with heart issues,
gives us great gratification.
Second, when we see
that our persistent efforts
of training the population
about cleanliness, hygiene
and waste disposal are
finally being followed, we
feel most achieved.
Sadh Ram, Majri village, Solan district in Himachal Pradesh: I had lost my leg in 2007 and had used an artificial limb, but due to lack of proper guidance I could not use it. After so many years, I am happy and grateful to MIF, that I can walk. This is thanks to the excellent arrangement at the camp, the diagnosis of Doctors and physiotherapists.
Tasreena Akhtar from Jammu and Kashmir, (26) a health worker in the state hospital was diagnosed with cancer. She says, “After initial treatment, it relapsed and required surgery and chemotherapy. By then my family and I had exhausted all our resources on my previous treatment. I came to Max Hospital, for a check-up and did not have money to take forward my treatment. Here I learnt about MIF. They took up my case and today I am thankful that my chemotherapy is on course and doctors here are very helpful and it gives me confidence about my life”.
