As a part of the “Strengthening Primary Healthcare through Participatory Action Research in Northern districts of Telangana” (SPH-PAR) initiative, supported by the Vijayavahini Charitable Foundation, Affordable Quality Health (AQH) conducted ‘Project Inception and Brainstorming Workshop’ on October 8, 2024, at Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal.
The primary objective of this workshop was to familiarize participants from various institutions with the scope of the project and to obtain their inputs to refine the approach and methodology of the project. The workshop had representation from the District Health teams (NHM) and the Govt Medical Colleges of all five Northern districts of Telangana, where the project will be rolled out. Over the course of the workshop, a cross section of experts from prominent institutions such as AIIMS Bibinagar, District Medical Colleges, and the District Health Depts gave their insights, thereby providing meaningful direction to the project.
Dr. N. Krishna Reddy, Director of AQH and CEO, ACCESS Health International, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of understanding community needs and adopting a health systems approach to achieve the concept of “Health for All.” This was followed by a presentation from Col.( Dr) MP Cariappa, Technical Lead, Vijayavahini Charitable Foundation, who outlined the project’s concept, evolution, and the rationale behind its inception. He also highlighted the objectives of the Telangana Public Health Consortium (TPHC), and the support being sought from the Govt Medical Colleges for the benefit of the health of the people of the region.
Dr. Narendar, Founder Secretary of Indigenous Development Organization (IDO), presented the ongoing work of IDO in Bhadradri Kothagudem and highlighted key health issues in the region. Thereafter, Dr. Shrikant Kalaskar, Technical Head of Public Health at AQH, presented a detailed methodology of the participatory action research to be conducted in the northern districts of Telangana. Dr. Sivakami, Professor at TISS, and Dr. Arundhathy Mamidi, Principal Consultant, AQH joined the workshop virtually to contribute their perspectives.
The workshop concluded with a brainstorming session where participants provided valuable feedback on potential population categories for the study, identified on-ground challenges that the project may encounter, and suggested mitigation strategies. They also provided inputs on leveraging advanced analytical techniques to analyse data and development of a roadmap for effective solutions along with their implementation in the future.
From VCF, the attendees included Mr. Bhagirath Gop, Mr. Venkat Mantha, and Ms. Athira. Representing AQH at the event were Mr. Santhosh Sadhu, Dr. Chilshu Chandran, Ms. Sushma D’Souza, Dr. Bhavani S, Dr. Soujanya, and Dr. Soumya.