Hospital for Women and Children
In 1979, Dr. Devyani Dangoria with personal resources started the Dangoria Hospital for Women and Children in village Narsapur, Medak District, in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana State) to increase the health care outreach to the poor and needy. The Dangoria Charitable Trust was established two years later.
The 20 bedded hospital is located on 4 acre plot of land in a scenic spot on the edge of a forest, opposite a lake. It has an inpatient ward and a modern operation theatre, besides the outpatient ward. Rooms are available for the patient's relatives to stay.
Services provided :
- Antenatal and post-natal obstetrics, gynaecology clinics. The bi- weekly antenatal clinics are well attended by over 50 women. Caesarean sections and other surgeries are done. An ambulance service takes care of transporting patents to Hyderabad in emergency.
- Trained technician does routine laboratory tests. Pregnant women are tested for HIV infection.
- A pharmacy sells the required drugs on the premises.
- Maternal and child health and nutrition education is given to the women attending antenatal clinics and inexpensive nutritious complementary foods made by the women of Mahila udyog, DCT, are made available for sale
A friendly home shelters over 40 elderly of both the sexes. The demand is great since the charges are flexible and very reasonable and care very good. Several inmates are sick and infirm. Energy saving solar water heater has been installed.
Nutrition Security Programme
This programme was initiated by Dr Mahtab Bamji (Director grade scientist retd., National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad) in 1994, when she joined the Trust as Emeritus scientist. Effort is to develop strategies for improving health, food and nutrition security.
For health and nutrition security there has to be Awareness, and Access at Affordable cost to an age and physiological status-appropriate balanced diet, (including right feeding practices for infants and children), safe drinking water, environmental hygiene, and primary health care for all. Over the years, DCT has developed successful strategies for: 1) health care delivery in rural areas through trained Women health and nutrition entrepreneurs and mobilisers, 2) sanitation – waste disposal, low cost latrines, and improved access to safe drinking water by preventing wastage, and storing bore well water in a cistern with 4 taps, 3) development of adolescent girls through science, technology and skill development and 4) Nutritionally sensitive and environmentally sustainable farming for promoting micronutrient security
The three A approach of creating Awareness, and improving Access at an Affordable cost, is adopted, with community participation. The findings are published (See the Annual reports and the list of publications).
Nutritionally promotive and environmentally sustainable farming for micronutrient security
Indian diets are qualitatively deficient in vitamins and minerals due to low intake of fruits, vegetables, pulses, millets and animal products. To increase the household availability of micronutrient- rich foods, agriculture diversification from water-guzzling crops like paddy and sugar cane, to nutritionally- oriented home-stead gardening, and cultivation of pulses and millets using green methods of farming, is being promoted. Backyard poultry using high egg yielding birds has also been introduced to improve household egg consumption. Health and nutrition education (behavioural change communication-BCC) forms an important component. Vermicomposting and botanical pesticides are also promoted. This approach improves household food security and helps environment by conserving water and chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The impact of education (BCC) as assessed through Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys of mothers with 6 to 24 months old children is very good. Though a family approach is used, women and adolescent girls are the major target.
Production and marketing of neem seed powder
In the village Chipalturti, one SHG is producing and marketing neem seed powder to be used as bio pesticide and bio fertiliser. This activity has now been extended to one more village-PC Kunta.
Rural Hub for Food and Nutrition Security
The Hub has been established for wider and rapid dissemination to more villages, of “Nutritionally sensitive and environmentally sustainable farm- based approach” for improving food and nutrition security. Beginning was made with financial support from Tata Advanced System Ltd and Tata Lockheed Martin Aero structures ltd. Hyderabad. The programme is being continued with financial support from DCT, CYTEL (USA) and the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI).
A batch of 5 villages is covered over a period of six months -one month for contact with the community, and initial survey, four months for transfer of farm technologies and education (BCC), and one month for final impact evaluation. Families with pregnant woman and/ or mothers with 6 to 24 months old children are preferably targeted. Like in the earlier projects, educational intervention is done through focus group discussions and centralised and de-centralised, hands-on training. Teaching aids include, power point presentations, and conveying simple messages through pamphlets in Telugu. Impact is assessed through acceptance of farm technologies, (nutrition gardens, vermicomposting, use of botanical pesticides, and backyard poultry) and knowledge attitude, practice (KAP) surveys of the mothers with 6-24 months old children, to assess the impact of education.
During the COVID 19 pandemic centralised meetings could not be held. The problem was overcome by circulating pamphlets with messages in Telugu and involving the Anganwadi workers. Improved literacy among young women facilitated this approach.
Solar panels to keep animals away have been introduced.
Results show good acceptance of farm technologies like raising nutrition gardens, backyard nursery and backyard poultry with high egg-yielding birds. Initial and end-line Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys done on mothers with 6 to 24 months old children show remarkable improvement in the mothers’ understanding of issues of food, nutrition, sanitation, common diseases etc. Family diet surveys show significant increase in the consumption of vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables.
By way of different strategy to reach out, women registered with Self Help Group were targeted. Pamphlets in Telugu giving messages for Covid 19 appropriate behaviour besides health, food and nutrition security were sent through WhatsApp. Most women leaders fortunately have smart cell phones. For details please see recent publications and Annual reports of the Dangoria Charitable Trust.
Food Processing cum Training Centre
DCT has started a Food processing cum training centre, under a registered society Mahila Udyog. Initially Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Mysore provided technical expertise in setting up this centre with funding from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, GOI. The objectives are: to develop nutritious and convenience foods, prevent wastage of farm produce and generate employment for women. Women are trained in the preparation of these products. The products listed under Mahila Udyog are marketed.
Pilutla Wicks
Women in the village Pilutla have been trained to make two types of wicks. These are marketed in Hyderabad.
Awards
National productivity council of India award in the category of Micro food processing, 2009
- National productivity council of India award in the category of Micro food processing, 2009. The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
- National Award of Rupees 10,00,000 for Women's Development Through application of Science and Technology in the institutional category for the year 2011, to Dangoria Charitable Trust. The award was given at a special function in Delhi, by Sri Jaipal Reddy, Minister for Science and Technology. Dr. Bamji received the award on behalf of the Trust.
- Dr. Devyani Dangoria and Dr. Mahtab S Bamji have received number of personal awards including the Living legend award of the International Union of Nutrition Scientists for Dr. Bamji
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| Celebration of Satyanarayana pooja by Dr.Devyani Dangoria on 1ST Jan 2023 at Home for Aged | Patients waiting for scanning at DCT Hospital, Narsapur | Inmates at the Home for the Aged |
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| Dr. Bamji, Dr. Bhaskarachary and Mr. Murty creating awareness on health and nutrition in a Centraalised training programme | Poultry training by Dr. Kotiah | Sri Murty giving health and nutrition education to mothers in village |
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| Sri Ramakrishna, Horticulture Officer, Medak DIST traninig mothers in horticulture | Vermicompost unit being set up in a farm for promotion of organic farming | Venkatesh demonstrating preparation of Botanical pesticide with chili garlic in a village |
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| Mixed vegetable garden- Ladies fingers, Cluster beans and Palak in a village | Installation of Neem seed pulverizer in P.C.Kunta viilage to be managed by a self Help Group | Distribution of Fruit saplings to the women in the village at ICDS centre |
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| Solar fencing unit in a farm | Backyard poultry with night shelter | Visit of students from MNR School Sangareddy to Home for the Aged |
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| Health and Nutrition awareness to the learners of HOPE Skill Centre, Suryanagar, HYD run by SHINE NGO | Training students of Reddy's womens college in Biscuit making at Mahila Udyog food processing training center | Dr. Bamji explaining DCT Activities to the students of M.Sc., Nutrition, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad |
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| Poster presentation at NSI Conference at NIN, Hyderabd | Dr. V. Prakash visit to Mahila Udyog Food stall at NIN, Hyderabd |