Ensuring a Steady Blood Supply: Organizing regular blood donation to meet the needs of patients requiring transfusions.
Supporting Persons with Disabilities and Terminal Illnesses: Providing palliative care and to improve their quality of life.
Fostering Altruism and Empathy: Enhancing these values among students to create a more compassionate society.
Raising Health Awareness: Educating the community about critical health issues.
Expanding Healthcare Access: Conducting medical camps to offer services in underserved areas.
Empowering Youth in Health Advocacy: Engaging young minds in health-related advocacy efforts.
THE CONTEXT
AISH was established in response to a number of pressing health and social challenges facing the local community particularly in underserved areas. This included lack of access to essential healthcare services, inadequate knowledge about preventive health practices, and the need for regular blood donations. To effectively tackle this menace there was also an acknowledgement that it was necessary for young people to get involved in social-health initiatives by using their ingenuity and love for others while improving the overall community health standards. Through this institution’s establishment, students, staff and society could come together whereby in collaboration they would participate in various projects related to health with a view of fostering shared responsibility as well as sense of community.
THE PRACTICE
AISH is a comprehensive community health initiative that integrates various health-focused programs and activities.
Blood Donation Camps: Events are organized for blood donation in which students, faculty and community members participate. Assabah College of Arts and Science students keep an extensive list of donors and a WhatsApp group so that they can call for help quickly in case of emergencies to make sure that there is always enough blood available to meet the needs of those who require it
Palliative Care Initiatives: The aim of these is to help and assist individuals with disabilities and terminal diseases by giving them empathy care, which will improve the quality of their lives. The project entails home visits, counselling, and resource provision among others, all focusing on providing emotional support in addition to medical care.
Altruism and Empathy Development: AISH actively engages students in volunteer work and educational programs designed to cultivate empathy and altruism. This engagement helps students develop altruistic behaviour and inspires them to contribute positively to the community.
Health Awareness Campaigns: Through workshops, seminars, and public awareness campaigns, AISH educates the community on various health topics, from mental health to chronic diseases. These initiatives empower individuals with knowledge and promote proactive health management.
Medical Camps: AISH organizes medical camps inside the campus to ensure the neighbours of Assabah and residents of Alamcode panchayat are getting attention to there health care needs
Youth Empowerment in Health Advocacy: By involving young people in health advocacy projects, AISH empowers them to develop and implement innovative strategies to tackle community-specific health challenges. This not only promotes public health initiatives but also fosters leadership skills among the youth
AISH's uniqueness lies in its holistic approach to community health, combining direct service delivery with educational and advocacy efforts, and its strong focus on student involvement makes it a model for integrating academic institutions with community service in the Indian higher education context.
EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS
AISH has demonstrated tangible success in several key areas:
Increased Blood Donations: The blood donation camps organised on 2019 and 2022 have significantly contributed to addressing local blood shortages, with the the blood donors directory and WhatsApp group ensuring efficient communication and timely donations during emergencies, various stakeholders of Assabah college and local community has benefited from the coordinated efforts and hundreds of unites of blood has donated through the initiatives
Improved Quality of Life persons with disability and terminal illness : The palliative care initiatives such as student initiative in palliative established in 2019 have positively impacted the lives of individuals with terminal illnesses by addressing their needs through collaborative efforts, providing financial support, visiting and spending time with individual having hard time, providing other supporting services and more Events organised to honour divygjan sports stars and making students aware of disability and inclusion through colloquiums and seminars fostered sense belongings.
Student Engagement and Empathy: The involvement of students in AISH activities has led to heightened empathy and a stronger sense of social responsibility among participants, contributing to the development of a compassionate and community-oriented student body and its measured through a Self-Rating Altruism scale and its responses indicates the students becoming more altruistic by participating in AISH and similar events
Community Health Awareness: The health awareness campaigns on Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer are helped to inform the natives about those diseases and preventive and early identification measures. The medical camps organised inside the campus in the various specialities like ophthalmology and Ayurveda has successfully educated the community on life style related health issues and provided much-needed healthcare services to the neighbours of Assabah.
These outcomes indicate that AISH is effectively meeting its objectives, making a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and the broader community.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AND RESOURCES REQUIRED
AISH faced several challenges in its implementation, including:
Resource Constraints: Organizing medical camps and maintaining ongoing palliative care initiatives required substantial financial and human resources. Securing consistent funding and volunteer support was a continuous challenge.
Community Engagement: Encouraging sustained community participation in health awareness programs and blood donation camps required ongoing outreach and education efforts.
Coordination and Logistics: Coordinating the various activities of AISH, particularly during emergencies, necessitated efficient logistical planning and communication channels.
Resources required for successful implementation included financial support, medical supplies, training for volunteers, and strong partnerships with local health organizations to extend the reach and impact of the initiatives.
Notes
For institutions looking to adopt a similar practice, it is essential to build strong community ties and establish a reliable network of volunteers and health professionals. Leveraging technology, such as WhatsApp groups for coordination, can enhance the efficiency of operations. Continuous evaluation and adaptation of programs based on community feedback are crucial to addressing evolving health needs. By focusing on both immediate health services and long-term health education, institutions can create sustainable impacts that empower communities and foster a culture of health and empathy.