Our Arogya Mitras

Arogya Mitras, the backbone of our primary care services, have been trained for over 150 hours in a variety of skills that are usually not available in villages. They are equipped to:

• Undertake basic nursing tasks
• Provide First aid
• Render Basic Emergency Care
• Give Pain Relief
• Take samples for lab processing
• Dispense medicines available with them

In addition, when a patient comes to the CC Patel Sarvajanik Hospital for treatment that may require hospitalisation, the hospital could discharge the recuperating patient into the care of the Arogya Mitra in the village. This is of course subject to patient consent. The advantage is that the patient is able to recover in a familiar environment. A previously agreed on and nominal fee would be charged for the services of the Arogya Mitra.

Arogya Mitras provide their services to those patients who approach them directly in strict accordance with validated and certified protocols taught to them. Through an app, they keep CC Patel Sarvajanik Hospital informed of the services they have provided directly, and seek advice on the course to be followed for other cases. Their work is reviewed by a supervisory team who visits each village once a fortnight.

For the services they provide, Arogya Mitra are entitled to charge the rates fixed for them. The rate chart of services has been extensively circulated among the village community so that transparency is maintained. The app, which registers patients and the services provided to them, sends out a receipt for the amount, creating an additional layer of transparency. 

Our Project Area

The project, in its current pilot stage, is limited to Sojitra taluka. Click here to get a geographical overview of the project area and click on specific villages to know their profile and the Arogya Mitras positioned there.

Progress in Equity Health Villages

The first batch of Arogya Mitras began their work in September, 2024. Their work is being tracked on the following parameters:

Linking Arogya Mitras with Medical Professionals at Secondary Care Facility

Linking both these components are two critical mechanisms: a mobile application and a supervision programme involving the hospital’s medical professionals and project staff.

The mobile application, to be launched soon, would connect Arogya Mitras to the hospital’s medical staff using video conferencing (done presently using WhatsApp), so that the treatment to be provided in the villages is carried out under the supervision of trained medical professionals. The mobile app will incorporate clinically validated protocols to help Arogya Mitras navigate patient encounters efficiently and compassionately. The app will also enable orders for lab samples and medicines from the secondary care facility.

The supervisory mechanism consists of a fortnightly visit to each project village by a team consisting of a doctor, a physiotherapist, a nurse and a social worker. The goal of this mechanism is to ensure continuous interaction between the two components and to monitor the work of Arogya Mitras. It also provides an opportunity for on-the-job training to Arogya Mitras as the hospital team also sees and treats patients.