Despite the global attention Kodaikanal receives for its beauty, the health system has failed to show much progress and development over the years due to a number of social, political, and economic reasons. Globalization has hit Kodaikanal quite strongly over the years, as a vast number of international corporations, factories, and small businesses have found a home in Kodaikanal; however, this globalization and urbanization of the hill station has continued at the expense of the local population, who often find themselves with no jobs to support their families. Thus, most men and women work on the dangerous roads of Kodaikanal as coolie workers or stone cutters, jobs that require much physical labor, and unfortunately little reward at the end of the day. The average coolie worker makes around 60 rupees a day, which is less than $1.50 USD to support an entire family. As a result, most children eat only white rice, and in many cases, that even is not available.

FIMRC aids the Betsy Elizabeth Trust organization to bring better services to underserved communities within the state of Tamil Nadu, specifically, creating better health services for the dalit community through opening crèches within the community.  A crèche is a combination school, day-care and health center for children 2-5 years old. It provides basic shelter, food, education and spiritual nurturing. Older siblings are able to return to school, instead of caring for their younger brothers and sisters. Parents are able to work in the fields and grandparents are relieved of the task of caring for mobile toddlers.  FIMRC and BET provide comprehensive physical exams of all 125 crèche children on a semi-annual basis; additionally twenty five children a month are seen by Dr. Vaitheeswaram, a BET approved doctor. The four crèches are Grace Kids Centre, Peach Tree Crèche, Little Lilies Crèche, and Helping Hearts Crèche.

The principal goals for our work in Kodaikanal include the following:

1. most crucially, to deliver acute and prophylactic healthcare to children who belong to the three crèches within this poverty stricken hill-station community;
2. promote continuous care by exacting biannual well-child visits for all crèche children, monitoring key indicators of collective health;
3. effect a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children within the crèches;
4. curb the devastating spread of common endemic disease caused by preventable microbial infections; and
5. promote and sustain programs in health education, with particular focus on pediatric and maternal health initiatives. 

Progress in the crèches itself accelerates daily.  This past summer FIMRC began funding the medical care for a fourth crèche, the Helping Hearts Crèche.  This addition will allow for 15 more children to receive medical attention!  Recent additions to the crèches included introducing protein supplements into the children's diets, in the form of eggs and chick peas, and initiating a teeth brushing time for every child at each crèche.

FIMRC invites people who are completing their medical residency as well as established doctors to assist in providing health care to the crèches.   Unfortunately, FIMRC’s Global Health Volunteer Program in Kodaikanal, India is not currently accepting applications from undergraduate or medical students.

For further information, please contact info@fimrc.org or call 1-888-211-8575.