1. Project Helpline

A physical deformity often does not stop with just merely being a physical disability. It is a psychological disaster for the patient, a setback to the entire family and a handicap to the society. Unfortunately physical deformities are common and occur due to a variety of causes such as congenital birth deformities, post-infective deformities, neurological disorders or post-traumatic deformities. These deformities are more common among the poor and socially underprivileged and hence often go without appropriate treatment. Project helpline was started in 1998 with the aim of bringing ' help to the helpless' . It was initiated as a joint project between Ganga Hospital and Coimbatore City Round Table-31 during the Presidentship of Round Tabler Rtn J V Chowdhary. Over the next four years, Coimbatore City Round Table 31 contributed nearly Rs.4 lacs for the project. Donations were also received from philanthropists and notably Johnson & Johnson who gave a one-time donation of Rs.5 lacs. The value of every rupee donated was increased five times as the entire surgical and anesthetic team operated free of cost and the hospital subsidized the charges substantially. Wherever possible, medicines and other consumables were also supplied free to the patients. From 2002, the project is entirely funded by the Ganga Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation.

2. Ganga Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation (GOREF)

The 'Ganga Orthopaedic Research & Education foundation' was started in August 2002 with a personal donation of Rs.10 lakhs by the families of the hospital directors. The foundation has now grown in strength and has to its credit, various activities such as supporting the academic training of the hospital staff, holding scientific meetings and conferences, funding on-going research activities of the department, providing funds for 'Project Helpline' ( a project to support the surgical correction of physical deformities of poor children) and also the primary education of deserving under privileged children. The funds for the foundation are mainly donations from the family members of the Board of Directors of the hospital and philanthropists. In 2008, the foundation will also partially support the 'Ganga Spine Microsurgery Ganga Free First Aid Centre with St John’s Ambulance, Tirupur Ganga Hospital along with St John's Ambulance Services started a Centre for free First aid care at Tirupur on 27th May 2001. The center aims at providing emergency care and ambulance services to transport traumatized patients to the nearest parent centre at the earliest. Since its inception, 41,593 patients had been benefited, with 20,804 patients treated in 2004- 05.Centre' which will provide hands-on training in Spine Microsurgery and a 'Ganga Bone Bank' which will cater to the allograft needs of the hospital and the other hospitals in the region.

3. Ganga Hospital Accident Helpline Centres

Ganga Hospital in association with Rotary District 3200 has started Accident Help line centres at eight areas including Mavuthampathy, Kanjikode, Madhukarai bypass and Palghat. The aim of these centres is to provide immediate aid to highway accident victims and transport them to the nearest hospital. Ambulances are stationed at all these centres, manned by the paramedical staff of Ganga Hospital.To date, 650 high-way road traffic accident victims have been resuscitated by these centres and transported for immediate specialist care.

- Road Traffic Accidents - 3000 deaths every day world wide - 75000 deaths per year on Indian roads - 1 death every 6 minutes - By 2020 one death every 3 minutes

More Indians between the age of 25-40 die as a result of road accidents than any other cause. While India has 1% of the vehicles, it unfortunately contributes to more than 6% of road traffic deaths in the world. There is one death every 6 minute on the Indian roads and this is expected to increase to one death every 3 minutes by 2020. For every road
accident death, there are at-least 10 people who are permanently disabled for life due to severe accidents. This is not a statistics that we can be proud about.

A study done in the hospital showed that more than 60% of the accidents are due to rash driving and non-adherance to road safety loss by the public. To increase the public awareness and compliance on road safety, Ganga Hospital has joined hands with all the Rotary Clubs of Dist 3200 to initiate a novel programme 'UYIR '(meaning life) as the 'People's Movement against Road Accidents'. Many novel programmes are done to involve all sections of the society to improve road-safety awareness.

5. Ganga Hand Injury Support Group

The support group to help rehabilitate the hand injured patients was inaugurated in Dec 2007 by Hon. Dr Justice Shivraj V. Patil. Mr Arun Kumar, MSW was in charge of the project and Mr Ashok Kumar MSW, took over from him on 9th November, 2009.

Mr Ashok Kumar takes active part in counseling the hand injured patients regarding the jobs available, about the facilities and schemes offered by the Government and Non-Governmental organisations for the disabled. This increases their self confidence and helps them rehabilitate at a much faster pace.

Services Undertaken

Bus passes for Hand injured patients to undergo physiotherapy.
We have taken steps to procure point to point bus
passes to enable poor patients to come to Ganga
Hospital for physiotherapy regularly. This has increased
compliance and helps obtain improvement in outcome
after major hand injuries and complex secondary reconstructions.

Job placement for disabled people
Suitable employment was arranged for 17 differenly abled persons through Ganga Hospital, Isha Foundation and UDIS forum.

• Prosthesis for amputees
• Educational Scholarships for hand injury patients
• Provide awareness of Government schemes for the differently abled
• Helping recycle thermoplastic splints for use by poor patients
• Counselling of patients who were found positive for HIV and Hepatitis viruses
• Arranging congenital anomalies screening camps

Ganga Hand Injury Support group will

• Help people live with change
• Face the world with confidence
• Open up windows of opportunities