Brief Report of Inauguration of “Sudeep” Training Center
Introduction
Safe Motherhood and Child Survival project is the core intervention of Deepak Foundation. It is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project implemented with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat. The project aims to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to less than 100 per 100,000 live births, and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to less than 30 per 1000 live births in rural and tribal areas of Vadodara District in Gujarat State. The project was implemented in phased manner with initiation in four tribal blocks in the year 2005, followed by implementation in remaining four rural and semi-rural blocks. Currently the project covers all 1548 villages covering about 2,000,000 population.

The implementation strategy includes delivery of a package of services through government’s health delivery system that include i) Behavior Change Communication at village level by women  health volunteers, ii) 24x7  Emergency Transport Facility to reduce the delay in reaching the health facility, iii) 24X7 Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) unit to provide timely critical care, iv) Strengthening peripheral government health care facilities to provide round the clock quality health care, and v) 24X7 Help Desk to cater to cases referred from tribal areas to the district hospital.

Rationale
In addition to the package of services listed above, the Foundation has been conducting various residential trainings for grassroots health functionaries in the four tribal blocks since year 2004. The Foundation identifies and trains a woman volunteer in every village in each block and builds their capacity to identify danger signal among pregnant and nursing mothers as well as communicate necessary antenatal, postnatal and infant care messages. These women volunteers trained for three years are now absorbed as Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), a scheme implemented by Government of India. Apart from these women volunteers, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), attendants of emergency transport vehicles, and paramedical staff are also trained to promote institutional deliveries, provide assistance during emergency transport and referral services, and promote utilization of various schemes under health services.

The residential trainings were previously conducted in rented rooms or community halls or premises of temples where the trainees and the trainers had to face problems due to lack of adequate water and electricity facilities, and improper lodging and boarding facilities. These young women volunteers bring along their infants and young children who had to be accommodated at the training venues. Further, proper audio-visual aids could not be utilized due to lack of proper infrastructure to support their utilization. Many difficulties were faced due to lack of proper venue and at times the trainings had to be postponed. Therefore, the Foundation constructed, ‘Sudeep’, Training Center for Awareness and Skills Development, within the premises of its head quarter of tribal blocks at Bodeli.

Objectives of the Training Center
The objective of the ‘Sudeep’, Training Center for Awareness and Skills Development, is to provide state-of-the-art facility for conducting trainings in the tribal blocks of the District where no such facility was available earlier. The training center will have all the infrastructure, equipments and materials required to conduct effective trainings. It will provide the facilities for boarding and lodging for the trainers and trainees and cater to all their basic needs.

‘Sudeep’, Training Center for Awareness and Skills evelopment
‘Sudeep’, Training Center for Awareness and Skills Development, is constructed at Bodeli, centrally located to cater to the training needs of five tribal blocks viz Naswadi, Pavi Jetpur, Chhota Udepur, Kawant and Sankheda. The Training Center built at the cost of about Rs.30, 00,000, provides the following facilities.
•    A Training Hall with Display Boards, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) facility and 35 chairs with writing boards for trainees
•    A Trainers’ room where the trainers prepare for their trainings and serves as their rest room
•    Store room for keeping the material and equipments necessary for trainings
•    A Dining area where the meals are provided to the trainees and trainers
•    A Baby room for young children of the trainees
•    Lockers for storing personal items of the trainees
•    A rest room and toilet and bathroom facilities for the trainees


Government of Gujarat has entrusted the task of training the ASHAs to the Foundation. Currently, ASHA trainings for the five tribal blocks are being conducted at the Training Center.

The Event….Inauguration of ‘Sudeep’, Training Center for Awareness and Skills Development
The ‘Sudeep’, Training Center for Awareness and Skills Development was inaugurated by  Mr.Ravi Saxena, Principal Secretary (Health), Health and Family Welfare Department (Gujarat), on June 5, 2009. The Chairman of Deepak Foundation, Mr. C.K. Mehta was also present to grace the occasion. The other dignitaries present on the occasion representing Government of Gujarat were Additional Director (Rural Health), Consultant (Maternal Health), as well as Regional Deputy Director, Chief District Health Officer Reproductive and Child Health Officer of Vadodara District. The Director, Deputy Director, and Heads of the various departments of the Foundation were also present.
The highlights of the results of the SMCS project in the tribal blocks in terms of the number of emergency calls received and attended; the number of deliveries conducted at the CEmONC unit, the percentage of institutional deliveries, the IMR and MMR were presented. The Principal Secretary appreciated the efforts of the Foundation in providing and supporting delivery of health services in the rural areas of the District. He raised certain pertinent issues regarding the key indicators of the SMCS project and expressed the desire validate the results.
The inauguration was followed by a key-note address by the Mr. Ravi Saxena, Principal Secretary to a gathering to celebrate the inauguration of the center as well as World Environment Day at Bhagat Wadi, Bodeli. More than 2000 participants including ASHAs, TBAs, Village Health and Sanitation Committee (VHSC) members and staff members of the Foundation were present. Principal Secretary emphasized the role of ASHAs and VHSC members in promoting and providing health services in the rural areas. He appreciated the sincere and dedicated effort of the Foundation.
Mr. C.K. Mehta, Chairman of the Foundation appreciated the VHSCs members, ASHAs and  TBAs for working together with the staff members of the Foundation to achieve the common goal of providing health services in the remote tribal areas.
A few ASHAs and VHSC members shared their experiences in working in partnership with the government and the Foundation.  The ASHAs and VHSC members appreciated the role of the Foundation in strengthening their capacities through trainings and orientation meetings to implement various health activities in their villages. They also stated that they will continue to support in providing health services.
An appreciation award was presented to Dr. Maheshwari, Gynecologist of the CEmONC unit at Jabugam, Pavi Jetpur block, for his outstanding contribution in providing emergency obstetric and newborn care services An award was also presented to Ms. Manorama Jaiswal for her outstanding contribution in the implementation of the SMCS project and training of grass roots functionaries.

‘Bhavai’ (local folk dance) shows were conducted to create awareness regarding ways to reduce maternal and infant mortality; promote tree plantation and various other ways to save the environment at the gathering.
The Principal Secretary and his team also visited the CHC-CEmONC unit at Jabugam which received an award for increasing institutional deliveries in the District. A convoy of thirty women out-reach workers of the Foundation escorted the Principal Secretary on motorbikes to the CHC-CEmONC unit. The role of the Foundation in bringing about women’s empowerment and building their capacities was acknowledged and appreciated.