Gadchiroli Sept. 28 (District Correspondent) Dr. Abhay Bang, Director of SEARCH was accorded felicitation by Liver Foundation, Kolkata in Dilip Mahalanabis Oration Lecture programme held at Kolkata recently for his work in community health.
Dr. Bang was presented a memento at the hands of Dr. Madhumita dobe, Academic Director of John C. Martin Center for Liver Research and Innovation, Ms. Anita Agnihotri, well known author, Dr. Abhijit Chawdhury the Chief Mentor of Liver Foundation was present.
Speaking on the occasion Dr. Bang said that researchers, particularly those working in the field of public health, should work with the people instead of conducting research on the people. Dilip Mahalanabis was the person who pioneered the wide-scale use of the Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) at a refugee camp in Bongaon in 1971 during the Bangladesh liberation war.
Dr. Abhay Bang and his wife Dr. Rani Bang co-founded SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health) have been doing their community health services at Chatgaon near here.
“Dilip Mahalanabis and Richard Cash came up with their simplified low-cost effective solution which can be given in the hands of people to empower them. Most medical discoveries and technologies dis-empower people. But Mahalanabis with this revolutionary technology saved the lives of millions of people”, said Dr. Bang.
He said this same spirit has been at the heart of what they do at Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. He also said their vision is to empower individuals and communities to take charge of their health, thereby helping them achieve freedom from diseases.
Dr. Bang said that while working with the tribals in the area he realised that a community health expert must learn from the people about health issues. “To work for the people of Gadchiroli, you ought to think like them. So, Rani and I started spending time with the tribals, we wanted to know what health problems they have. After a lot of deliberations, they told us malaria, white discharge, alcohol, child death and back aches are the five areas where they want us to conduct research. This has been our research model for the past 38 years, he said.
Dr. Abhijit Chawdhury the Chief Mentor of Liver Foundation appreciated the services being rendered by the Bangs at SEARCH.
