In remote villages, where access to hospitals is scarce and doctors are few, who ensures health is still a priority? The answer lies in the dedicated work of community health volunteers—the silent heroes of rural wellness.
At Doctors Foundation, we believe empowering local people is the key to sustainable healthcare delivery.
🏡 Why Community Health Volunteers Matter
In underserved regions, especially in Telangana and surrounding rural belts, health infrastructure alone isn’t enough. Challenges include:
- Lack of awareness about basic health issues
- Late diagnosis due to travel barriers
- Superstition and traditional healing dependence
- Low vaccination rates
- Poor maternal and child care
Community health volunteers (CHVs) bridge these gaps by being the first point of contact in their communities.
👩⚕️ Who Are They?
Our community health volunteers are:
- Trained local women and men
- ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers
- Teachers, youth leaders, and retired healthcare workers
- Respected voices in their villages
They are not just assistants—they are health educators, first responders, and change agents.
🛠️ What They Do in the Field
- Health Education
- Explaining hygiene, nutrition, menstrual health, and vaccinations
- Busting local myths and promoting preventive care
- Monitoring Maternal and Child Health
- Ensuring antenatal checkups
- Supporting institutional deliveries
- Monitoring malnutrition in children
- Mobilizing for Health Camps
- Encouraging families to attend screenings
- Assisting doctors with records and patient data
- Follow-Up and Referrals
- Ensuring patients take prescribed medication
- Guiding them to nearest health centers for advanced care
- Emergency Support
- Coordinating during outbreaks or seasonal illnesses
- Helping with ambulance and transport needs
🧡 Impact in Action: Laxmi from Chityala
Laxmi, a health volunteer trained by Doctors Foundation, noticed a pregnant woman showing signs of anemia. She immediately alerted our team, facilitated a check-up, and ensured the woman got iron supplements and proper care.
“Without Laxmi’s intervention, things could’ve gone very wrong,” said the local midwife.
📈 Our Volunteer Program Highlights (2023–2024)
- ✅ 400+ active community health volunteers
- ✅ 60+ villages supported
- ✅ 2,200+ maternal care cases followed up
- ✅ 8,000+ people educated through door-to-door campaigns
- ✅ 100% local women empowerment in CHV teams
The true strength of our program lies in local ownership.
💬 Training and Empowerment
Our volunteers are trained on:
- Basic health first aid
- Identifying warning signs
- Recordkeeping and mobile data entry
- Building trust and addressing stigma
- Mental health support and referral systems
We also provide monthly support meetings, refresher courses, and a small stipend to honor their work.
🌍 Long-Term Vision
By expanding our CHV network, we aim to:
- Strengthen public health surveillance
- Improve early diagnosis
- Promote preventive healthcare
- Build resilient communities that care for one another
They are not just volunteers—they are the lifelines of rural health.
🙌 Want to Support or Sponsor a Volunteer?
Just ₹500/month can support the training and tools for a local health volunteer.
