The quiet exterior of the ambulance parked outside a house at Pandavath Road near Maradu hides the steady activity within. Having collected blood samples from the 70-odd people that make up most of the residents of the lane, two lab technicians analyse them for factors that may indicate kidney or heart problems.
The ambulance in question is part of the ‘Snehasraya’ initiative of the Muthoot M. George Foundation, aimed at identifying life-threatening health disorders early and creating awareness about them. “We try to focus on people who are below the age of 50, so that we can catch debilitating diseases early enough for them to get the required treatment,” says Arjuraj S.S., one of lab technicians in charge of the programme at Pandavath Road, which took place earlier this week.
Currently the Snehasraya programme, which was started earlier this month, is being coordinated with the help of Panchayat authorities and residents associations. The samples are collected in the morning, and testing takes up most of the day, before the distribution of results. The medical team also gives the participants some pointers on healthier living.
S. Balakrishnan, president of the Pandavath Nagar Residents Welfare Association, describes how his association came to participate in the programme, “A colony nearby had organised the programme a few weeks back and the turnout was impressive, so we did the same here. The trend has been that a large percentage of participants are above 50. Unfortunately, a lot of younger people prefer not to participate in such programmes, afraid of what such tests may reveal.”
According to Vishnu V.N., the other technician aboard the Snehasraya ambulance, the objective is to eventually visit areas all over the State where people lack proper medical facilities or the financial wherewithal to access them. Various panchayats and residents associations have booked the ambulance for most Sundays in the coming months and it has now begun operations on weekdays as well.
For more information about the programme, contact: 8111975566 or send an email to csr@muthootgroup.com.