Read more about the Dignity and Right to Health Award here.
2016
Dr Anil Cherian
Dr Cherian is from the state of Kerala in South India and qualified in 1989 in the Christian medical college , Vellore.
After a junior doctor year he returned to Vellore and successfully trained as a paediatrician. This was followed for many years by service for a total of 20 years with the Emmanuel Hospital association , national organisation serving mission hospitals in India. He was director of the organisation in the last two years. During his service he had also become very involved in community health. His wife Shalini, an obstetrician was not only supportive but a very able co-worker.
His involvement in the Sudan started in 2011 when he was invited by ICMDA to join a team of five given the task of how South Sudan could be helped in the development of their health services. They felt that teaching local staff would be the best contribution and the institute of health sciences was born .See https://nihsj.org/ Dr Cherian was asked the following year 2012 to lead and develop this project. See https://nihsj.org/ Anil and his wife moved to South Sudan at this time both feeling the call of God to serve in Sudan maybe for 7 years.
The initial plan was to have the teaching institute in a town called BOR but the following year intense fighting occurred in Bor making it utterly impossible to have the teaching there.
The responsibility of an alternative venue for the institute of health sciences largely fell on Anil and the teaching commenced in Mengo hospital in Kampala in early 2014. (Mengo is an Anglican mission hospital on one of the hills of Kampala).
There are, I think 51 students in training. Most are high school graduates but around 20% have some experience maybe in community work, nursing or midwifery. There are three teaching streams, clinical medicine and public health, nursing and midwifery.every attempt has been made to attract women students and at present 30% are women. These will complete training in a year’s time.
A team of teachers has been formed mostly full time but with some part timers and volunteers.
Anil has made a huge contribution to the success of this venture though you would not get that information directly from him.
Criteria 2. Target group – Marginalised / Hard to Reach Communities
In Sudan talking about communities who have difficulties accessing health facilities is irrelevant as the while health system has broken down and everything everywhere is in a mess and not likely to improve any time soon as now there is intense tribal warfare. This means that all the population are in dire need and every small contribution is of value. The Cherians are without doubt doing all they can.
Criteria 3. Program outcomes
The hope is that these students when they graduate will return to Sudan to serve there. The training was set up in full co-operation with the government. The plan has been that some should work in clinical settings and some in mission hospitals and others in the community. Every effort will be made to fulfil this aspiration and indeed commitment but the situation in South Sudan is such that anything could happen.
Anil and Shalini will continue their commitment to the country when the training is completed.
Funding has been difficult and the best contribution has come from the Anglican church.
Anil has co-operated with other NGOs whenever appropriate and contribution to refugee (mostly I.D.Ps) work is being considered
Criteria 4. Personal Life
The story I have covered very superficially speaks for itself. Anil and Shalini have not just engaged in a project but have given themselves to the service of the people of South Sudan. This has continued work the work they did in India but it has meant changing home and country to a most insecure situation . To enable this they left their two sons in India to complete their education
There is much to celebrate and learn from this extraordinary life.
Dr Michael Burke HSA CEO
