Tribal and rural communities face challenges accessing quality healthcare in India. In Nagaland, a mountainous state in northeast India, transportation is a primary barrier to accessing healthcare. The Health Department in Tening Block has only 3 medical doctors for 27 villages. Common preventable diseases in the region include diarrhea, intestinal worms, skin diseases, and waterborne illnesses. It is common for people in Nagaland’s remote Peren District to walk multiple days to reach a Primary Health Center, which may or may not be adequately staffed.

One Day’s Wages partnered with Pro Rural to launch a mobile health clinic that provides essential healthcare services to 22 rural villages in Nagaland’s Peren District. Our partnership enabled Pro Rural to purchase a 4-wheel-drive ambulance that can navigate the area’s challenging terrain. The mobile clinic is stocked with essential medications and staffed with trained medical professionals who provide preventative care and treat basic diseases and infections. In this first year of the clinic, 1,414 were treated by a doctor – some for the very first time in their lives! Awareness sessions on hygiene, disease prevention, and nutrition resulted in an 80% increase in hand washing, increased use of oral rehydration solution to treat dehydration, and improved understanding of menstrual hygiene among girls. In partnership with the local government, Pro Rural is now well positioned to continue offering and expanding its rural health outreach service!