Friends of Vellore UK supports Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. CMC Vellore is a teaching hospital in southern India. Initially founded to provide treatment for women and poor people excluded from good healthcare, it continues today to serve the underprivileged, providing free or subsidised treatment to many needy people.
Vision:
Friends of Vellore UK supports projects at Christian Medical College Vellore, and other mission hospitals working in partnership with Christian Medical College. The charity seeks to follow Christ’s example in showing compassion towards those who are vulnerable and marginalised. We want to ensure that everyone can receive appropriate healthcare regardless of their ability to pay or their faith.
Mission:
We strive to fulfil our vision through the following activities:
- Raising funds to support healthcare, education and development projects at CMC that benefit the poorest and most excluded patients and communities
- Encouraging CMC in its partnership with smaller mission hospitals across India
- Promoting the work of CMC and sharing news and information for prayer.
Our projects:
Friends of Vellore UK works closely with several departments at Christian Medical College Vellore to initiate and sustain programmes targeted at helping poor and disadvantaged people. At any time, Friends of Vellore will have many programmes running. From raising money for a maternal health unit in the rural Jawadhi Hills to supporting a palliative home care programme which cares for those in their home who are unable to travel to hospital.
The Person to Person (PTP) scheme is used to provide small targeted grants (up to Rs 10,000 or approximately £100) to help pay the hospital bill for specific patients who are unable to pay for their treatment. Donors who give to this scheme receive reports directly from CMC on which patients their donation has helped.
The Low-Cost Effective Care Unit works in the slums of Vellore. Here we are funding dental education, palliative care services and cervical cancer screening for many who would not otherwise access healthcare services.
The Jawadhi Hills south of Vellore are home to a tribal community with little access to healthcare. Friends of Vellore UK are supporting students from this area in their nursing training. We are also funding 11 health workers. CMC have trained these young people from the Jawadhi Hills to work as health aides, visiting the villagers, offering health advice and making referrals where necessary.
The Friends of Vellore UK Paediatric Subsidy Fund supports 10 children each year who are admitted to CMC Vellore for treatment or surgery. The fund is for children from poor families who would benefit from a one-off intervention with a high likelihood of a positive outcome.
Each year we send funds to support CMC’s Palliative Home Care Team. Our grant covers fuel costs, medication and basic supplies to enable home visits to those in the last stages of their life.
We fund several projects at CMC’s Rural Unit of Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA) which include four elderly care centres, the Pachaikili children’s play centre and vocational training in sustainable farming methods and fashion design.
We have close links with CMC’s Missions Department who are continuing in their efforts to help revive smaller mission hospitals. We have recently funded laboratory equipment at two such mission hospitals and have sent a grant for an effluent treatment plant at another.
Friends of Vellore UK 