It all started in 1986 with the intention of extending medical services to those who cannot afford it, through a small clinic. It was Swami Shantanand Saraswathi who inspired and motivated a group of devotees and like-minded people to extend these services to women and children. Thus was born the Siva Shantha Mother and Child Health Care Centre, located in P.N. Pudur. The clinic is part of Shivanjali, a Coimbatore-based non profit organization.

“Our main focus is to prevent maternal and child mortality. We have a plan to achieve this – three months to three years. We adopt a holistic approach in analyzing the problems of patients who walk into our clinics, and offer solutions based on the individual,” Nirmala Ramesh, Administrator Officer, Siva Shantha Mother and Child Health Care Centre, says.

Most of the women who visit this centre are from broken families or single mothers. The centre offers various health programmes aimed at the holistic development of the mother and her child. The preventive and promotive care programme trains the women in ways and methods to prevent diseases and maintain good health. Ancient methods like Ayurveda, Siddha, and yoga are taught in the comprehensive curative care programme.

On a regular basis, the centre organizes medical camps in different locations in the city where women and children undergo free screening tests. In the past, the centre has organized paediatric camps, dental camps, eye camps, Siddha camps, yoga camps, and orthopaedic camps among others.

The camps are conducted with the help of specialist doctors and trained technicians. About 150 to 200 people benefit from each of these camps. The patients identified with extended problems are given the necessary medical treatment at the centre.

Since its establishment, the centre has treated 2,62,850 women and 3,34,485 children. About 8,897 children have been vaccinated since 2002. The centre has plans of extending its healthcare services to many more people in the future.