The Jakhangaon Arogyagram Project initiated by the Tanishka Foundation is an innovative program towards resolving basic healthcare within the village. The basis of this program is contribution of grain from every household. The bulk is then traded at the market and funds so raised from that farm produce are diverted towards primary health care. In a nutshell, 15 kgs. of sorghum (jowar) – or INR 500 when traded – is all it takes for a village to be high on hope and in pink of health.

A ‘Total Heath Village’ may look too ambitious at first glance to many, but not to Dr. Kirti Gandhe. She not only came up with the idea, but also convinced the other Tanishka Foundation members to rally around for this project. A project and planning committee was formed in alliance with another voluntary organisation within the village. The best part of this people-friendly scheme is that anybody from the village with a state-approved identity proof can benefit from this scheme.

While basic routine health check-ups like blood pressure, pulse, sugar etc. and public medicines are provided free of cost, discounts are provided on medicines from select local chemists through a tie-up arrangement. The scheme is now gaining ground with hospital affiliations at the district level that provide upto 30% discount for advanced diagnostics like X-Ray, USG, ECG, CT-scan, MRI etc. In fact, today specialist examinations by visiting specialists are also being provided free of cost.