Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Batting for Ekam initiative

CHENNAI: Vaibhav Krishna celebrated his first birthday recently. In the usual course of events, just another birthday celebration, but for Vaibhav, it has been a tough journey so far. He was hospitalised after birth and had to spend nearly 15 days, living with ventilator support. However, he has survived. Thanks, not in any small measure, to Ekam.

Ekam Oneness, The Hindu's partner on ‘6 for a cause', is a charitable institution working for the healthcare of underprivileged children in Tamil Nadu.

They work with the poorest of the poor, children and families who have little or no resources to take care of health emergencies. Ekam works with ICDS centres, Chennai Corporation, Government and Government aided schools to identify children.

Ekam was formally inaugurated on Doctor's day 2007 as a Community Paediatric Project of the Confederation of Indian Organisations for Service and Advocacy, says Sai Lakshmi, paediatrician, who is a founding member of Ekam. The organisation's mission statement indicates they will provide complete and holistic health care to underprivileged children in partnership with hospitals, paediatricians, nutrionists, social workers, and NGOs. Ekam tries to ensure that no child is denied of best health care, says Dr. Sai Lakshmi.

“We admit poor children in private hospitals, with whom we have established networks, and reimburse the subsidies given by them,” she adds.

“We bring in support for the hospitalisation (secondary and tertiary care) of the children admitted in private hospitals and renting ventilators, lab support and medicines for children admitted to Government Hospitals on a long term basis.”

The funds that are raised through ‘6 for a cause' will directly go towards funding Ekam's latest venture taken up in partnership with the Tamil Nadu government - Bala Suraksha Arogya Project.

To be implemented as part of the National Rural Health Mission, this project aims at monitoring sick newborn units to reduce the infant mortality in the State.

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