NGO gets award for health service

MUMBAI, NOV 26: The Y B Chavan Pratisthan Rural Development Award for 2,000 was given to Search-Shoudhgram, an NGO devoted to health activism in the Gadchiroli district on Saturday. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh did the honours. Chaggan Bhujbal, Y B Chavan Pratishtan chairperson and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Justice Y V Chandrachud were also present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion the founder of the NGO Abhay Bang asked the government to take corrective measures on a war footing to combat malnutrition which according to him claims a lakh lives of children in the age group 0-6 every year. “The tragedy is the government and the policy makers never get to know as the health departments always tend to downplay the deaths.

“Only 3 per cent of the total deaths are actually reported” Iamented the doctor who along with his wife Suman decided to settle in the interior naxalite infested tribal district after returning from the US 16 years ago where he studied medicine. Three publications: a compilation of Y B Chavan’s public speeches, Hawayen Sahyadri Ke (a book on Y B Chavan’s life) and Maharashtra Chaar Dashakancha Aadhawa were also released by the CM on the occasion.

The DCM gave away the prizes to college students for the best essay, poetry short story and the best college mag.

Both Pawar and Chandrachud astutetly avoided the media.