About the Partner
Prayathn was established in the year 1992 to enable people to respond to their situation of inequality and injustice. In their journey of 18 years we have always kept focus on programmes and activities that deal with health, education, child right, gender equality, empowerment and livelihood. Prayatna started working in Varanasi in 2008 with the vision that each and every person irrespective of their sex, age, race, column, class and religion should have a life of freedom and dignity in which they enjoy all their human rights and have the opportunity to fully develop their potential.
About the Project
This Smile on Wheel was launched on 9th February 2011. The project was flagged off by popular TV actor Roshni Chopra. The project is being implemented in 12 slum areas of Varanasi district. The mobile hospital unit visit locations namely – Bagwanala, Doulatpur, Bhim Nagar, Shalil Putri, Koniya, Choti Maldahiya, Nagawa, Sonbarasa, Navada, Khojwa, Dasawamegh Ghat and Sankat Mochan. It covers a total population of over 25, 800 in these locations. The mobile hospital attending each of these locations 4 times in a month.
The unit has a team of doctors, nurses and other medical staff along with all possible required medicines from distinguished laboratories and are distributed free of cost to the ailing. The patients are charged either nothing or a nominal cost for the treatment and consultation. With a special focus on the health of women and children, the mobile hospital unit also makes the slum dwellers aware about preventive measures against diseases and educates them in health and hygiene.
Going forward, this Smile on Wheels aims at developing in all the people living in these slum areas the importance of sound health and inculcate in them a health seeking behaviour.