Healing Hands Foundation was established to address the issue of anorectal diseases amongst the masses. Conditions like Hemorrhoids/Piles, Fissure, Fistula have a surprisingly high incidence in the population. However, because of the shame and awkwardness attached to these issues, people don’t come forth to see a doctor. The inhibitions only become stronger when it comes to women. Piles, fissure and constipation are extremely common during pregnancy. Prolonged or obstructed vaginal delivery can cause a serious complication known as recto-vaginal fistula. However, women are still hesitant to seek treatment. Not only are they reluctant about seeking medical help, but keep these problems hidden from their families too. We might think this is true only in rural areas. Surprisingly, a lot of women in urban India too brush their issues under the carpet.
Long-standing notions that are deeply ingrained in people’s minds are difficult to change. The socio-economic impact of all these conditions is much greater than one assumes. An unhealthy body is accompanied by lack of enthusiasm and vigor. Losing blood from the rectum is frightening! It acts as a contributing factor for the anemia which is already common in Indian females. Thus, cumulative impact of these diseases is reduced work efficiency and loss of working hours.
Our mission to make health services available in the lower socioeconomic strata is accompanied by a strong conviction that increasing awareness is an effective tool to make the process pragmatic. We can help people only when they themselves take that first step to open up about their problems. Thus, raising awareness about anorectal health and eliminating shame attached to these issues are the cornerstones of our approach. Making a substantial impact in a society as diverse as ours is challenging. People have long-standing notions that are not easy to change. This is true, especially of women. We have to bring down walls built with ignorance, conventionalism and superstitious beliefs. That women have a right to health is still not acceptable in certain communities. The fact that we are dealing with ano-rectal issues only makes the wall thicker. Thus, creating awareness and providing people an approachable platform to speak up forms the basis of our groundwork.
Currently, we are working in the rural areas of Maharashtra. We organize free Ano-rectal health camps in various small villages, that, if fortunate enough to see the light of development, have access to only basic primary healthcare. During these camps, our Proctologists who specialize in Ano-rectal diseases, provide free consultation and examination to the villagers that is at par with tertiary care in big cities. Medicines, when required, are given free of cost and those who need a surgery are referred to Healing Hands Clinic, Pune, where they are operated upon at minimal charges. Thus, at a negligible cost, these people from rural areas receive exactly the same advanced treatments at Healing Hands Clinic that the privileged classes in cities receive. For this activity, an ambulance has been converted into a mobile clinic of sorts. Having an exterior designed to spread information, the interior of this vehicle is equipped with an examination bed, clinical tools, medicines and other essential commodities. Our doctor along with a counselor, camp coordinator, helper and van driver work in unison towards a common goal of providing selfless service!
‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men’.
-Frederick Douglass
Children are the future of our nation. A healthy child is more playful, more enthusiastic and a powerhouse of creativity. Thus, if children are taught to take care of their digestive health at this young age, they will build a strong, healthy youth. The intestinal microbiota (gut-friendly bacteria that inhabit our large intestines) have a large role to play in our immunity (our capacity to fight infections). Recent developments in gut health research have also pointed to a strong connection between intestinal microbiota and brain health. Thus, a healthy intestinal system means an immunologically strong and mentally sharp individual. If children are educated to adopt healthy eating patterns at a young age, it becomes a lifelong habit. Making them aware of anorectal health will not only help in identifying issues at a primary level but will also go a long way in preventing those conditions. They will realize that talking about these topics is not shameful; although our bottoms are usually a subject of humor, they perform a crucial function of the human body, excretion. Thus, we aim to create awareness amongst school kids about clean eating habits, healthy excretion and hygiene/sanitation.
In the long run, we aspire to widen the scope of our services, reach a larger number of people and make health a fortitude for the people of our nation rather than a constraint in our national growth.
