MELGHAT HEALTH PROJECT

Tribal Health Research Project , Melghat
Organizers: MAHAN, Melghat & Kasturba Health Society, Sevagram

FACULTY

Name Qualification
Dr. Ashish Satav M.B.B.S., M.D.
Dr. Kavita Satav M.B.B.S., M.S.

INTRODUCTION
Melghat is the hilly forest area in the beautiful Satpuda mountain ranges. Population is 2,80,000 & 75% of them are tribal . Korku is the major tribe of Melghat .Most of the tribal (>90 %) are farmers or labourers, living below poverty line(>75%) & very hard life in kaccha houses without electricity (>90%) & illiterate (>50%). Medical facilities are worst in Melghat as compared to rest of Maharashtra . This area is known for highest under 5 children mortality (>100 per live births) especially Malnutrition related deaths and highest mortality in age group (16-60years) in Maharashtra.

BRIEF REPORT (Nov.1997- 31st March 2011)

Our base hospital is at Karmagram, Tahsil Dharni (Mahatma Gandhi Tribal Hospital) which is 140 Km from Amravati (nearest city). We are working in more than 36 villages of Melghat.
A) Curative Activities

More than 50808 patients have been treated till now. Ours is only hospital in Melghat for treatment of serious patients & we managed many (>800) serious patients (e.g. Myocardial infarction, brain haemorrhage, cerebral malaria , meningitis, tetanus etc.) and saved precious lives at our hospital

SURGICAL CAMPS
a) Operated more than 749 cases with ophthalmic problems like cataract (free of cost -intra-ocular lens implantation), eye injuries, minor surgeries etc.
b) Plastic surgery camp: 215 cases of post burn contractures, cleft lip, cleft palate, etc. were operated free of cost in our hospital.
c) 15 cases of Rheumatic volvular heart diseases detected in our camp were operated free of cost at Mumbai with the help of G-66 Heart Foundation Atchut Maharaj Heart Foundation, Amravati.
d) More than 20 other general surgical cases have been operated in various hospitals due to our efforts.
MORTALITY CONTROL PROGRAM
We trained 19 village health workers for treatment of under 5 children. More than 81425 individuals were treated free of cost in the villages itself from May 1, 2005. Due to it, we could reduce under 5 children mortality by more than 50% over a period of 5 years, which is a cost effective and easily replicable model. This project received first best oral presentation award in national symposium on tribal health by Indian Counsel of Medical Research in 2006.
This project has been accepted for 7 international symposia organised by Medical School of U.K., Indian Counsel of medical research, The Netherlands Symposium and European Society of Paediatric Research, Germany and Denmark.
Effect of our work on community health:
Our data collection during last 6 years revealed the actual mortality status of Melghat. It indicates that the government data is far from reality. The infant and under five children mortality rate & prevalence of malnutrition in Melghat is very high as compared to most of the Maharashtra. The exposure of real status in newspaper and television etc. created lot of awareness amongst the various section of the society. Rajmata Jijau mother and children nutrition mission of the Maharashtra government along with UNICEF confirmed our findings, accepted the realities and started work to improve the situation. The government was mobilized to announce some welfare schemes for the poor tribal. Various N.G.O. and social minded people are helping the poor people due to massive campaigning of the issue. Due to our efforts most of the severely malnourished babies are getting supplementary nutrition in 17 villages and many deaths due to malnutrition were prevented. The prevalence of severe malnutrition was reduced by around 60%. The prevalence of anemia was decreased in Intervention village.

Mortality control program for economically productive age group (16-60 years)
Many patients are dying prematurely due to illness like Tuberculosis, Hypertension, Heart Attack, Pneumonia, Diarrhea, Malaria , Chronic Obstructive Airway diseases, Jaundice, Addiction , Suicide, maternal deaths, etc. Most of the deaths are due to wrong life style like unhygienic practices, addiction and lack of doctors. Hence MAHAN has trained tribal female village health workers for early identification and treatment of illness in village or in hospital. Due to their intervention, MAHAN could reduce death rate by more than 35% in above age group from 16 -17 villages of Melghat. This is most probably the first sort of innovation in world.
Maternal mortality reduced by more than 60%.


SPECIALITY CAMPS
We arranged various speciality diagnostic & treatment camps in Melghat like Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Ultra Sonography, Paediatrics , eye, ENT, pathology , etc. and treated >15942 patients. Detection of Malaria parasite positive patients in the camps activated the government system to start malaria prevention program on massive scale in Melghat.
SCHOOL HEALTH CHECKUP
Around 17914 students from more than 102 schools were examined & the needy were treated free of cost (especially for eye problems).
ANGANWADI CHILDREN HEALTH CHECK UP
More than 9000 pre-school children from 37 villages in Melghat were screened & needy were treated. Around 3-10% of children are severely malnourished. With the help of other charitable trusts, we provided nutritious food to more than 300 malnourished babies and mothers for 3 months. Due to our efforts many deaths due to malnutrition were prevented.
BLINDNESS CONTROL PROGRAM
Only our hospital has full time ophthalmic surgeon. More than 330 cataract cases have been operated upon (free of cost). More than 3248 students & villagers were given spectacles (free of cost for students).
ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT:
We saved lives of around 29 seriously injured persons in road traffic accidents by rescuing them from accident site in Melghat.
DOOR TO DOOR SCREENING & TREATMENT OF PATIENTS:
More than 14289 cases were screened and needy were treated.

B ) Preventive Activities

HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMME
More than 3732 health education programs were organized for more than 73576 people. We prepared one C.D. on Nutrition Health Education in local Korku dialect, which has been highly accepted & appreciated by the villagers. We also prepared one flip chart on nutrition highly appreciated & recommended for government health education program by Dr. Mishra (IAS) , Special Reporter, National Human Rights Commission & Ex-secretary, Union Labor, Ministry, Govt. of India, New -Delhi. Also highly appreciated by Dr. Fernandez, neonatologist and ex dean of SION Medical College.

YOUTH DIALOGUE & HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAM
Due to our continued efforts, government was forced to conduct Mutation (i.e. change of title of land to the existing progeny of the tribal) on massive scale & many poor tribal became legal landowners.
POLICY LEVEL ACTIVITIES
Participation in Policy level activities:
1. Member of Bhavishya Alliance ,an international alliance for reducing malnutrition in Maharashtra.
2. Member of state level Village Child Development Committee of Rajmata Jijau Mission of Govt. of Maharashtra.
3. Member of European Society of Pediatric research.
4. Member of national child health policy committee by Lifebuoy company.
5. Member of Special study group for Tribal health improvement of Vidarbha Statutory Development Board appointed by Governor of Maharashtra .
6. Participation in state level policy meeting about use of antibiotics in childhood illness by village health workers and ASHA. (Arranged by additional chief secretary, health)
7. Hon. Chief justice of Maharashtra asked govt. to implement recommendation of MAHAN for Melghat health improvement.
8. MAHAN model of HBCC has been accepted by Govt. for whole Melghat.
9. Member of district Navsanjeevan committee for monitoring child health and nutrition activities.
10. Member of mentoring committee of district National Rural Health Mission.
11. Secretary of Coordination committee of counselor program for govt. hospitals in Melghat.

PROGRAMS OF MAHAN TRUST ACCEPTED OR ON WAY FOR ACCEPTANCE AS STATE LEVEL POLICIES:
1. Village feeding centers for severely malnourished babies-or VCDC.
2. Counselor program for govt. hospitals in rural and tribal areas.
3. Acceptance of real status of severe malnutrition in all tribal blocks of Maharashtra by RJMCHN Mission . Govt. policies were changed.
4. Hot cooked food to children in the age group of 6 months to 3 years prepared by local tribal female Self Help Group.
5. Three criteria for selection of severe acute malnutrition children for supplementary nutrition.

HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAMS
Health training programs for Doctors, Nurses, CDPO, Anganwadi supervisors, Teachers, N.G.O., Counselors, yuva doots & village health workers. Topic :Treatment of under 5 children, Mother & children care. Nutrition & Malnutrition, counseling skills, heart attack, sustainable agriculture Immunization, adolescent and maternal health including hygiene and sanitation, pregnancy cycle, importance of skilled birth, 5safes, administrative structure in health and ICDS, important government schemes, addiction, yoga, meditation, de-addiction, etc.


COUNSELORS PROGRAM

Trained local Korku tribal youths are appointed as counselors in government health institutions of Melghat and Amravati. Due to this innovative program the following positive effects can be observed in government health institutions:
a. The OPD and IPD (hospitalization of severely malnourished babies and pregnant ladies ) were improved due to hospitals remaining open for 24 hours.
b. Significant improvement in hospitalized severely malnourished babies.
c. Significant increase in no. of hospitalization of severely malnourished children and hospital deliveries.
d. Quality of food served to patients improved.
e. Sanitary, lighting and other facilities in hospitals improved.
f. Drug availability improved.
g. Referral transportation of patients improved.
h. Staff became patient friendly. Communication with patients improved.
i. Confidence of people in hospitals improved. They stayed in hospital for reasonable time, unlike going back home immediately or in a day’s time.
The Counselors Program is proving to be a successful initiative for such tribal and remote areas with distinct hurdles of reach, language, lack of facility level supervision and poor community response. Till now more than 64000 tribal are benefited through the program. The project will be replicated across all such remote tribal areas of Maharashtra with local specific modification.


PROJECT UMANG (DE-ADDICTION PROGRAM)

One of the areas MAHAN had decided in the beginning was ‘De-addiction’. In Melghat every year, hundreds of people die because of various addictions. People are addicted mainly to Tobacco & local Alcohol. Addiction is prevalent in ladies & youngsters also. ‘Mohaful’ used for making alcohol is available in ample quantity in jungle of Melghat. Like urban lifestyle, alcohol is used in almost all functions & celebrations. Root causes found out of addiction are cultural practices, lack of awareness, peer group pressure etc. As it was wide spread across the Melghat & related to behavioral change, it was challenging task to achieve de-addiction with available resources.
Following are the results:-
• Around 100 volunteers & patients trained & treated by us stopped alcohol drinking & smoking. Ghota villagers celebrated Holi festival without social drinking for consecutive 5 years.
• Innovative way of celebration of new year : Instead of celebrating new year by traditional way of drinking alcohol, villagers celebrated it by way of:-
1. Shramdan- 200 villagers made a drainage channel of two kilometer and a footpath of 700 meter in village.
2. 30 youths and 50 children took an oath of development of village and making Ghota village as a model village,
3. Five youths gave up addiction
4. various government officers made villagers aware about various government policies & schemes available
• Yoga : More than 400 villagers started regular yoga for de-addiction.
• Sports:-Around 500 people attended the ‘Holley ball matches’ without consuming alcohol & smoking, in Tarubanda village, which is the 1st time happening in Melghat.

KITCHEN GARDEN AND NUTRITION FARM PROGRAM

Kitchen garden through waste water channelization is the innovative concept to deal with the lack of nutrition. By establishment of kitchen gardens in the backyard of the houses of tribal, production of green leafy vegetables and fruits has been taken by the tribal. Intake of these nutritious food helps to combat the malnutrition among the tribal. Till now we produced more than 1000 kitchen gardens in 17 villages of Melghat. We are also planning to establish the nutrition farms in 320 acres of land in 17 villages so that the annual production for a family can be drown by cultivating variety of food in one acre. This helped to reduce malnutrition in Melghat.



PAPER/POSTER PRESENTATION IN CONFERENCES
A. Presentation and acceptance of the Home Based Child Care Program in many international symposia over following issues.
1. Child health -at Hamburg Germany organized by European Society of Pediatric Research.
2. “From Research to Improved Practice & Policy in International Health” by NVTG and Uniting Streams, Utrecht, Netherland , The Netherlands.
3. Tribal health by Indian Counsel of Medical Research.
4. Home based child care for reducing child malnutrition in Melghat- 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Paediatric Societies, EAPS 2010, Denmark.
5. Effect of Home based child care on child mortality in tribal population: Result of field trial - 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Paediatric Societies, EAPS 2010, Denmark.
6. Infectious diseases of children at Hague, The Netherland organized by European Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases-2011.
7. “European Society of Paediatric Research (ESPR) 2011 : 52nd Annual Meeting”,. in Newcastle, UK -2011.
8. Health and Wellbeing-the 21st Century Agenda: Royal Society of Pediatric Health , London, UK-2011
9. Tribal health by medical school of UK.

A. Paper Presentation in International Journals
1. Post graduate journal of Medicine, England. (Topics; Skeletal abnormalities, hypocalcaemia and intracranial calcification) vol. 73, 1997.

B. Presentation and acceptance of work in many national symposia/conferences/workshop/ journals :
1. National symposium on tribal health by Indian Counsel of Medical Research, Jabalpur.
2. National symposium on Infectious diseases by All India Institute of Medical Sciences , Delhi and Infectious diseases society of India.
3. Association of Physicians of India – Calcutta national conference.
4. APICON 98 - Association of Physicians of India – Bangalore national conferences.
5. Neurological manifestations associated with HIV/AIDS in JAPI 1999, Vol. 47, No. 1
6. Tetanus after Electric shock Injury –published in national journal- JAMS-96.
7. Effect of Yoga on Bronchial Asthma in JAPI1999, Vol. 47, No. 1.
8. National seminar on role of Ayurveda in management of malnutrition in mother and child of tribal area in Gramin Ayurved mahavidyalaya Patur, Distt. Akola, Maharashtra.
9. National conference of infectious diseases organized by AIIMS in association with Infectious Diseases Society of India.
10. Community Ophthalmology Conference Eye India 04 organized by PBMA’s H. V. Desai Eye Hospital, Pune.
11. Microbial study of seasonal variation in acute gastroenteritis in adults in JAPI 1996, Vol. 44, No. 12.
12. Clinical profile of HIV infection in high risk group (Hospital Based Study) in JAPI, Vol. 46, January 1998
13. Demographic study of HIV infection in high risk group (Hospital Based Study) in JAPI 1998, Vol. 46, No. 1

PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Dr. Ashish Satav was invited as an expert on Mumbai Doordarshan for a program “Malnutrition problem” under the program Sapat Mahacharcha. The project activities were presented by ETV Samvad, SAAM TV, NDTV, etc. The work was published in the form of more than 100 news in various news papers like Times of India, The Hindu, DNA, Asian Ages, Lokmat, etc.

STRENGTHENING OF GOVT. HEALTH & ICDS SYSTEM
1. We won the PIL in Mumbai High court and court has given order to restart the counselor program in all govt. hospitals of Melghat. So our counselors have started their work.
2. Impact of Government -NGOs coordination : Due to our counselors, there is qualitative and quantitative improvement in all of the Govt. hospitals of Melghat. This is the first such type of innovative program of monitoring of government hospitals by NGOs in India .
3. Due to our regular pressure , there is improvement in services provided in ICDS centers (anganwadi centers ) of 17villages of Melghat. Govt. has accepted our proposal of starting nutritious feeding in villages to severely malnourished children in the form of VCDC.


OTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
Various socio-economic status up-liftment activities like Employment guarantee scheme , Water supply schemes, repairing of road of few villages and S.T. Bus facilities have been started in many villages of Melghat by government due to our regular follow up. Admission of many students to schools was facilitated by us. Providing financial support to poor student for studies. 200 bicycles were distributed to the needy poor tribal people . It made them self sustainable and got easy means of transport for education and earning. We distributed cloths to more than 2000 tribals.

9. DE-ADDICTION PROGRAMME: Around 100 volunteers & patients trained & treated by us stopped alcohol drinking & smoking . Ghota villagers celebrated Holi festival without social drinking for consecutive 5 years due to our efforts. But as we stopped this activity since 3 years , there is relapse in above village.

REPUTATION OF THE INSTITUTION
Awards
i. The project was awarded “Best Tribal Research Project Award & Young Scientist Award” by Indian Counsel of Medical Research, selected by eminent epidemiologist and doctors from World health organization , USA, UK and India.
ii. Felicitation by Jagtik Marathi Academy and Shivaji University, Kolhapur.
iii. Americares Foundation’s ‘Spirit of Humanity Award 2011 –National Award ’ for child nutrition.
iv. National Child Health Award for Nutrition by Lifebuoy.
v. Karmveer Social Citizen National Award.
vi. Dr. Vankar award by Indian Medical Assoication, Nagpur.
vii. Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis National Award and Savitribai Fuley state award .
viii. Spirit of Mastek Award from Mastek Foundation, Mumbai
ix. Uvaunmosh Puraskar from Indradhanu, STAR Mazha and Maharashtra Times.
x. Godatai Parulekar state award.
xi. M.B. Gandhi award .
xii. Samajseva Bhushan Puraskar.
xiii. Jamshetji Tata National Rural virtual fellowship.
xiv. Felicitation by chief minister of Maharashtra.
xv. Swatyantravir Savarkar Samajik Samarasta award .
xvi. Dr. V.N. Vankar award for “Health & Hygiene” by Indian Medical Assoication.
xvii. Comred Godavari Parulekar Smruti Award .
xviii. Felicitation by Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Samiti wardha .
xix. Karyanishtha Gaurav Puraskar to Dr. Ashish Satav.
xx. Vocational award by Rotary club of Gandhi city.
xxi. Vocational Excellence award(Scroll of honour) by Rotary club of Pune.
xxii. Sevankur Idol.
xxiii. Vishesh Karyagaurav Sanstha Puraskar.
xxiv. Felicitation by LIONS club, Nagpur .
xxv. Dada Chandiramji Wadhwani Memorial Award (from Vidarbah Vaibhav.org.) to Dr. Ashish Satav.
xxvi. Felicitation by SAAM TV and Sakal news paper.
xxvii. Felicitation by Vivekanand Medical Mission, Khapari.
xxviii. Felicitation by VidyaNiketan School, Amaravati by Ex. minister of central govt. Mr. Anand Adasule.
xxix. Felicitation by Center point college, Nagpur .

Comments by famous person about the work

i. News published in Delhi edition of Indian Express December 5, 2006 -Dr Naresh Geete, director (Monitoring), Rajmata Jijau Mission for Mother and Child Nutrition, the government body appointed to monitor health reporting and coordinate among the various agencies working for child and mother care, admits to under-reporting: “Satav is 100 per cent correct. We have asked our officers to improve reporting. Unless we report correctly, we won’t be able to solve the problem.” Government reporting has since improved in Satav’s 19 intervention villages of Melghat.

ii. ‘I had remarkable experience seeing the hospital and then visiting the research personnel (of MAHAN Trust) in their home in the village. This maternal infant project demonstrates the power of low tech investigations to decrease infant mortality. Our discussion with the research team here have informed me how to think about the project for the US National Institute of Health – Maternal Infant Research Network working with Dr. Archana Patel from Nagpur, we will get great value and stimulation from the brief visit. Thank you very much!’ – Alan H. Jobe, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and researcher, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital , Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
iii. ‘The dedication and involvement of the MAHAN staff under Dr. Satav’s leadership and that of the community workers was truly impressive. The need to serve and in turn gain the respect of the community members is mutually beneficial and therefore sustainable. The measurable improvement in the health indicators, knowledge of the community members and their trust in MAHAN’s workers indicates that MAHAN is making a big difference in their lives. May they have the strength and conviction to continue this excellent work.’ – Dr. Archana Patel, HOD, Pediatrics, IGMC and VP, Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur.
iv. Your life and work inspire me greatly. Dr. Ashish is my indian teacher.- Mr. Adam Kahane, Canada-International expert in problem solving.
v. Your work of home based child care program should be propagated all over India, said Dr. Katoch, Director General, ICMR and Secretary , Health Research, Govt. of India.
vi. Dr. Satav taught us the real status of Malnutrition in Melghat admits Rajlakhmi Nayar (Program officer of UNICEF on nutrition for Maharashtra ).
vii. Dr. Satav family is doing excellent work in Melghat. Their work reminds us Dr. Albert Shwaitzer. Their work will be helpful for overall development of Melghat. Said by Dr. Prashant Gangal (M.D.- Chief trainer of Malnutrition reduction program of Maharashtra Government and UNICEF training program ), Dr. Sanjay Prabhu (M.D.-Maharashtra state Secretary of Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, ), Dr. Shakuntala Prabhu- Professor of Pediatrics- Wadia children Hospital, Mumbai.
viii. The flipchart on Malnutrition , prepared by you is of an excellent quality and I recommend that govt. of Maharashtra should use it for their health education program. – Dr. L.P. Mishra, IAS , special rapporteur, National Human Rights Commission of India. He was impressed by our way of monitoring govt . Health & ICDS program in Melghat and scolded many govt. officers after reading our report.
ix. Dr. Satav is an great asset for Melghat and district administration, said Dr. Shanta Sinha , Chairperson, National Child-right Protection Commission of India.
x. You are doing very good work at Melghat said Mr. Dhirubhai Mehta, President, Kasturba Health Society, Sevagram and director of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram.
xi. I would like to take this opportunity to express my personal gratitude to you and your team of workers for leaving no stone unturned in order to ensure the complete success on the occasion – Dr. Mrs. P. Narang , Dean, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram.
xii. Dr. Satav’s hard work , sincerity and dedication is praise worthy. He has travelled a lot in interior of villages by scooter and walked a long distances. He commands good respect with local leaders, Govt. officers and villagers of the area.- Dr. Prakash Behere, Prof. & Head of the department , Psychiatry, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram.
xiii. We are very much happy and satisfied after seeing the good project of Dr. Satav . During such a young age, it is not easy to avoid lot of attractions in life and live in such small village. Drs. P.R. Mhaskar & Kamal Mhaskar, Mhaskar trust, Amalner.
xiv. I was very happy to visit your camps. The subjects you are discussing are very critical to the future of the people of India. Mr. Boffalme-USA.
xv. We are really inspired by the good work done by Drs. Ashish & Kavita Satav. Very few people like them realises their responsibility to serve for the motherland. To dream such work and to do it actually is really praiseworthy. - Dr. Kanak Nagale , Heart Surgeon from Nair hospital , Mumbai.
xvi. The work they are doing is highly laudable. Selfless service given to people of tribal area seeing to all round development of an individual and also making them participate in the activity is a real great thing. Wishing them all success in their endevour - Dr. C.J. Hemantkumar, Heart Surgeon (Cardiovasular surgeon )from Jaslok hospital and Hinduja hospital , Mumbai.
xvii. "Shailesh nisal" shailesh.nisal@gmail.com something I wrote........
Utavali, Dharni, INDIA.
Utavali means 'eager' in Hindi. Eager to work are the Satav couple, Eager to go there are people who have visited the place once. It is an example of what the human spirit can make happen. What the will of 2 persons can bring up from nowhere, from nothing. And where it is most needed. One can't but wonder why they do it? What takes a highly educated couple to a god-forsaken forest to deliver health care to people who live on nothing. It's a mission that is difficult to comprehend. Even more the fact that they put their life at stake, when there were so many comforts that could have been easily theirs. They are a creed apart; they come to this world to give, at the cost of time, comforts, family and their life. I salute them, the spirit that drives them. I salute their courage to do what they want to, and the guts to keep going.
Dr. Shailesh Nisal, (M.B.B.S., M.S., M.Ch.) plastic surgeon, Nagpur.
xviii. I impressed upon the trustees of Love trust U.K. , the planned and systematic nature of your work with the tribals and my expectations that it will yield good results in the health of tribals and in particular in reducing mortality among young children up to the age of six. My wife and I were especially impressed by the concept of training village health workers. The lady village health worker to whom you introduce us in the village, and who spoke so clearly of her work diagnosing pneumonia and malaria is an excellent ambassador for your work. –Mr. Stephen Love, England.
xix. We were convinced with your capacities to lead the project of children mortality control program. You definitely convinced me that the results of your work and your scientific research will have an important impact on the future of many people in the Melghat area. Now you have won this national price, and your research work is appreciated by national and international experts in community health, it will even have impact on many more people. Congratulations to you and Kavita also. She has also played such an important role! May be in future your results can even be used in Sierra Leone! - Dr. Annekoos Wiersinga(M.D.) , Stitchting Geron, Netherlands.
xx. I congratulate you with the award that you received at the symposium at Jabalpur. You certainly deserved it. Your work has been of great importance for the destitute tribal people of Melghat and I am happy and proud that we have sponsored this work. I vividly remember that meeting in the garden of the heart hospital near Amravati. I am very happy that you convinced me there about the necessity of this work. The result has proved that you were right. Annekoos, Batiaan and Taco told me about their visit to Dharni and they told me they were very much impressed by the wonderful and dedicated work you are doing there by Nico Nobel, Netherlands.
xxi. Meeting you made me realize that “role models are neither historical nor in books- they are in ‘action’ in ‘here & now’ . I guess its just a beginning – Mr. Manish Shrivastava– National training manager –Hindustan Lever Limited , Mumbai.
xxii. Dr. Ashish & Dr. Kavita Satav- you are simply great. I want to do lot of work for the tribal community. Your work will inspire me. Really envy you both. Mr. Sunil Limaye (IFS)- Additional Tribal Commissioner, Amaravati division.
xxiii. Your work is like a temple said Dr. Taori, Neurophysician and Director, CIIMS hospital, Nagpur.
xxiv. Awareness generation amongst tribal women & men of Melghat by your trust is praiseworthy. The efforts of Dr. Satav & team will be certainly useful for Melghat . Such training camps will produce Master trainers for social welfare department of Maharashtra government. Mr. Raghunath Kulkarni- Divisional Social Welfare Officer, Amaravati division.
xxv. The various camps organized by the trust is praiseworthy. The various health related activities done by the trust is useful for Melghat. Mr. Kapase , Project officer , Integrated Tribal Development Project, Dharni.





Dr. ASHISH SATAV (M.B.B.S., M.D.)
Mahatma Gandhi Tribal Hospital, Karmagram, Utavali, Dharni , Dist: Amaravati.-444 702,
Phone: 07226-202793, 202291, 9325094780, Email : drsatav@rediffmail.com