Vembakottai Block Update

1

• Vembakottai Block Update
• By
• Gayathri Anand and Rishi Ghare
• Based on telephonic conversation with Mr.
  Balakrishnan on 06/07/02

2
Block Details

• Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district
• 72 panchayats
• 72 women savings groups (Tuligal)
• TNSF Health programme
• 30 villages 18 panchayats
• 18 Tuligal groups functioning
• Each village about 150-200 families
• Main occupation Match Factory workers

3
HBP in Vembakottai

• District Secretary - Mr. Balakrishnan
• Block Co-ordinator Angamal
• Block Full Timers - Paechiammal, Jamuna and
  Kaliswari
• Another Full Timer(Savings Group) - Muthukani
• 3 District level resources Shanti,
  Dhanalakshmi, S.T. Balakrishnan
• Each Block full timer visits 10 villages once 2-3
  months

4
HBP in Vembakottai (contd)

• Health activist is selected for each village
• Village health committee(7-10 people) formed
• Panchayat president
• Literacy movement activist
• women's savings group co-ordinator
• ward member
• president of youth groups
• village health nurse (VHN)
• teachers
• local fan clubs

5
Some Questions

• What role does the village health committee play
  in the health program ?
• Is the village health committee really effective
  ?
• How do you make sure that the health committee
  workers are knowledgeable about various health
  issues ?
• What are some of the health related issues that
  village health activist face ?
• What do the block full timer's do when they visit
  to a village ?
• Does the caste issue come up in villages ? what
  has been done to tackle this problem ?

6
Current Status

• Health survey in all 30 villages - Completed
• Training of health activist Ongoing
• 18 health activist trained on 12th-13th May
• 12 more needs training
• Weighing programme started on 17th June
• All 3 block full timers are excepted to attend
• Target Dalits and minorities in large villages
• 10001500 children will be weighed

7
Next 3 months

• Conduct monthly meetings with the village health
  activist
• Need to complete the training for the village
  health activists
• Organize an inaugural programme in all villages
• Talk to the Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and
  Village Health Nurses (VHNs)