Access to comprehensive health services for vulnerable urban communities is a priority for us.
In Bengaluru, through an integrated health programme for informal settlements, we reach a population of over one lakh. This programme includes community health work, neighbourhood health centres, and referral support at government hospitals.
The residents of these settlements are largely migrants from within Karnataka and other states. Many of them work in the unorganised sector — construction, e-commerce, housekeeping, security, waste segregation, and domestic work — and live in communities with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water. This puts them at significant health risks.
The awareness of public health services is often low. Many of these migrants are unfamiliar with nearby Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and government hospitals. As a result, they end up depending on unqualified practitioners, while delays in seeking care lead to high out-of-pocket expenses and debt.
Our work with these communities seeks to change this picture, by making care more accessible, timely, and affordable.
We operate in five clusters in Bengaluru — Bellandur, Hebbal, Kumbalgodu, Peenya, and Thubarahalli — and run four Health Centres.
Our work includes frontline health work, community nursing and primary health clinics.
- Frontline health work is led by Community Health Associates (CHAs), most of whom belong to the communities we work with. Each CHA supports around 500 households. They provide health education, promote healthy practices, and conduct home-based screenings — including blood pressure and blood sugar checks for adults, and growth monitoring for young children. Those in need of care are referred to our Health Centres or nearby government facilities. We also work with local PHCs to improve access to services such as immunisation and antenatal care.
- Community nursing is led by Community Health Nurses, who support CHAs and work with 2,000–2,500 households each. They operate from Community Health Resource Centres (CHRCs) — spaces used for screenings, nurse-assisted teleconsultations, health camps, and community meetings.
- The Primary Health Clinics are located close to the communities we serve. Each centre includes a waiting area, nursing space, doctor consultation rooms, and a pharmacy. These clinics provide essential services, including basic diagnostics and procedures such as dressings.
When patients need advanced care, we connect them to government hospitals. Our teams provide referral support, including helpdesks at key hospitals, to assist with navigation and follow-ups. We also collaborate with not-for-profit partners across the city.
We have also begun working closely with the public health system in Bengaluru. Our teams collaborate with specific PHCs to understand their needs and support the delivery of primary care.
Our work in the city, which began with building awareness, immunisation, and maternal and child health, is now expanding to address a wider range of needs — non-communicable diseases, mental health, palliative care, and support for people with disabilities.
We are also setting up a multi-specialty hospital in Bengaluru with a focus on organ transplants.
