Poverty and medical care - a new era

by Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann

These days, millions of Americans deal with the nearly impossible juxtaposition of rising healthcare costs and decreasing incomes and savings. As the population ages, we hear too many heartbreaking stories of many people, especially seniors, having to choose between buying food and buying medicine.

Although extremely difficult and unfortunate, our country is relatively new to this situation, at least in terms of percentages of population. In many other countries, including India, this is not new. Especially prevalent among those with little education, which includes a high percentage of women and those who live outside big cities, the choice to get medical care doesn’t exist. They just do without.

For many lucky ones, this is where Anantha Ashram has been stepping in. Thousands of people who live in villages outside Hosur (in Tamilnadu, India) are being given high quality medical care through the health camps and mobile clinics that are part of AA’s community health program. (Some of the programs are described in the recent newsletter (http://www.cupinternational.org/cupnew_007).

The cost is to provide these programs is minimal because of the volunteer efforts of healthcare and administrative professionals…they cost just over $900 (USD) a month. For that, preventive and curative treatments are given families, children, babies… whoever needs it. It’s one set of programs in one part of the world… with a huge impact.

Of course we encourage your support of these programs. I'm also interested to learn about any other actions you're taking... in whatever corner of the world you happen to have an interest in... to make changes big and small that help people deal with poverty...