Treatments in government hospitals are either free or cost minimal charges. However, there is a lack of staff and funding. Even if some Government hospitals are among the best hospitals in India, most of them are overcrowded and patients can wait for hours to see a doctor for only few minutes. Most essential drugs are free of charge in these hospitals but because of irregular supplying of medicines, patients often have to buy themselves some of their medicines outside.

Our doctors are very competent and spend the time necessary with each patient. For each patient a file is created to record important information to follow up the patient.

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Pre- and Post-Natal (PPN) Programme

The PPN Programme of TWIN, started in 1998, is designed to improve the state of health of women and children. Its goal is to reduce the maternal and child mortality. The PPN programme is based on the fact that healthy mothers give birth to healthy children.

This programme follows two of the UN’S Millennium Development Goals:

Goal N°4: Reduce Child Mortality – Reduce by two third, between 1990 and 2015, mortality rates of children under the age of 5.

Goal N°5: Improve maternal health – Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio.

The PPN programme activities:

• Women are admitted in the programme as early as possible but not later than 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• Pregnancy is registered in a hospital.
• Tetanus immunization is ensured.
• Iron and Folic Acid Tablets are provided to mothers.
• Regular gynaecologic check-ups are organized in the clinic.
• One nutritious meal is provided 5 days a week during the pregnancy and for a year after the delivery
• Delivery takes place in hospital
• Post-delivery medical check-ups of mothers and children are organized for 1 year.
• Mothers are encouraged to breast-feed babies for six months.
• Awareness camps during pregnancy and lactating period.
• Regular health check-ups for the mothers and their children.

TWIN records information about the mothers and their children to make sure that everything is alright during the pregnancy and the 1st year after the delivery.

Through Pre- & Post -natal care programme TWIN has succeeded to reduce the maternal and child mortality rate to almost zero percent in its operational areas. Besides, it has ensured cent percent hospital delivery and child immunization coverage.

The number of women in the PPN Programme is usually around 30.

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Immunization Programme

All children immediately after their birth and upto the age of 5 are be given complete courses of vaccination against preventable diseases of Tuberculosis (BCG vaccine), Hepatitis B, Poliomyelitis (OPV), Measles, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus. Vaccination against Hep-B has now been incorporated in the Immunization Programme. TWIN is a link between families and goverment vaccination clinics.

The government runs a pulse polio programme for all children upto the age of 5.  The idea of this programme is to eradicate poliomyetilis from the environment, for its total eradication. TWIN makes sure that all its children, upto the age of 5, attend these clinics for its success.

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Cervical Screening and Breast Cancer Screening Programme

Cancer of Uterine Cervix

This is the most common cancer among women in India. WHO estimates 74000 women die annually from the disease in India.

The main types of cervical cancer are mostly caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – a common sexually transmitted infection.

About 80 percent of sexually active women can expect to be infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Most will fight off the virus on their own. But if it persists, HPV can provoke cancer cells to develop.

The biological changes caused by HPV infection happen over many years. Periodical Cervical Screenings contribute to detect pre-cancerous lesions and allow treatment to prevent their development to cancer.

Breast cancer

Causes of breast cancer are not yet known. However, there are some risk factors:

• not having children or having them later in life,
  
• use of birth-control pills,
  
• obesity,
  
• reduced breast feeding,
• alcohol,
• history of breast cancer in the family.

Standard methods of detecting breast cancer include physical examination - looking for typical hard features and tumours, and mammography which relies on X-Rays to reveal any malignancy.

TWIN, with medical and technical support of Rotary Club of South Calcutta, RI District 3291, organizes Cervical Screening and Breast Cancer Screening Camps, for the benefit of the women in the age group 25-65.