India's constitution guarantees free health care for all its citizens. All government hospitals are required to provide free of cost healthcare facilities to the patients. The health care system in India is universal. That being said, there is a great discrepancy in the quality and coverage of medical treatment in India. Healthcare between states and rural and urban areas can be vastly different. The majority of the public healthcare system catering to the rural and remote areas relies on inexperienced and unmotivated interns who are mandated to spend time in public healthcare clinics as part of their curricular requirements. Rural population in search of quality healthcare compiled to come towards urban cities which puts extra burden on government hospital. At present, in each government hospital in Delhi have long waiting queues for surgeries people left with the option of private healthcare providers, although this is an option generally inaccessible to the poor.
According to the United Nations, in India due to absence of quality health care
About 48 out of every 1,000 newborns die before reaching the age of five. It is one of the highest under-five child mortality rates in South Asia (behind Afghanistan at 91 and Pakistan at 81). In terms of numbers, India has the largest share of global under-five deaths at 1.3 million annually.
Dil Se Mehek, with Project Finanacial Aid helps marginalized children to enjoy their constitutional right to quality health care. Under the shadow of the program, the trust provides monetary aid to poor parents to pay hospital bills, surgeries and other medical expenses of their children.
Project Shiksha is a national level programme Dil Se Mehek. Figures shows that,
Education is both the means as well as the end to a better life; means, because it empowers an individual to earn his/her livelihood and the end because it increases one's awareness on a range of issues – from healthcare to appropriate social behavior to understanding one's rights, and in the process evolve as a better citizen. It is the road that children follow to reach their full potential in life. Yet many children in our country do not get a quality education where they can learn and develop.
To advance learning, “Dil Se Mehek” supports education programs for children in the classroom and at home.
The ambitious project of “DIl Se Mehek” has designed to support medical needs of children after surgery or any other hospitalization events. It is found that a trip to the hospital can be an intimidating event for patients and their families. Post Hospitalization care is the essential component which most parents tend to ignore in the absence of finances. Regular monitoring is an essential component after a hospitalization event. Each child recovery period is different. Some heals within week and some take months to recover. There is a need to have regular follow-up with treating doctors. Regular follow-ups help doctors to monitor the progress of a child after a traumatic hospitalization event. If in any case doctor notice any fall in progress, he/she can take immediate action and reverse the ill progress into a healthy childhood.
“Dil Se Mehek” under Nirogaya program supports children in following ways:-
Humans need a wide range of nutrients to lead a healthy and active life. For providing these nutrients, good nutrition or proper intake of food in relation to the body’s dietary needs is required. An adequate, well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity is a cornerstone of good health. Food provides us energy to promote and maintain tissue growth, and to regulate body processes. Nutritious food is the cornerstone of health. Therefore, food should supply necessary nutrients in sufficient amounts to meet the body’s needs. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity. Critically ill infants are at high risk of developing nutritional deficiencies due to imbalance between their energy expenditure and caloric intake. This imbalance contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. There have been studies which have explored malnutrition in children after hospitalization in children. It will lead to decreased learning abilities and productivity, increased school dropouts, increased susceptibility to infections, decreased immunity, higher morbidity, and mortality rates in children, which in turn hampers economic strength and human development of the country. Under this program, “DIl Se Mehek” provides ‘Nutritional Food’ to children after discharge from the hospital so that children will not suffer with malnutrition and maintain a healthy life.