Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of TVS Motor Company, and Sundaram Clayton, works with more than three million villagers in India to ensure health for all by engaging with the community, and with Government agencies.
For SST, better health is a continuous area of improvement. For the 21 years that it has been serving rural India, the aim of SST has been not just to get healthcare to the underserved, but also to ensure they are able to lead healthier, disease-free lives. It also involves bringing down mortality rates among the vulnerable.
Infant mortality in SST villages is down to less than 1 per 1000 births, vs the national average of 34. Maternal mortality is down to 9.6 per 100,000 live births vs the national average of 167.
The SST model starts by educating communities on better hygiene. Children at schools in our villages are taught simple but effective habits such as washing their hands properly. Mothers attend nutrition camps which teaches them the benefits of a balanced diet, and routine health camps spot common deficiencies.
‘’We lay a huge emphasis on better health because the overall result is greater productivity in our communities,’’ says Venu Srinivasan, managing trustee, SST. ‘’Any loss of productive incomes in these families can cripple them, let alone the additional cost of healthcare.’’