Role of Voluntary Health
Sector in India
Framework:
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Introduction
Definition of voluntary sector
Functions of voluntary sector
Strengths of voluntary sector
Weakness of voluntary sector
Role of voluntary health sector
Examples &Their role
Introduction:
• Voluntarism:
Voluntarism is a phenomenon of ancient Indian
society, where people shared
skills, expertise, services, resources and
knowledge among the members of
communities living together.
• In the present era, voluntarism manifests
through organizations ,associations, organized
structures such as Community Based
Organizations , VoluntaryOrganizations (VOs),
NonGovernmentOrganizations(NGOs) .
Volunatary organization:
• A voluntary organization is a non-governmental
,autonomous, non- profit making organization
supported mainly by voluntary contributions in
cash and kind from the general public or certain
segments of the public, specialized to carry out
a number of functions related to development,
aid and emergency relief.
Functions of Voluntary organization
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Supplementing the work of Govt agencies
Pioneering
Education
Demonstration
Guarding the work of Govt agencies
Advancing health legislation
The main characteristics of voluntary
agencies would be that they:
• It should be established by a group of private
individuals or NGOs
• It should be autonomous
• It should be managed by an independent, volunteer
board of directors elected periodically by the members
• It should have a clearly defined constitution and be
accountable to that constitution
• It should be financially independent;
• It should have a formal legal status, permanent
headquarters and employ
• professional or volunteer staff; and
• It should have humanitarian objectives and
programmes.
Strength of Voluntary Organization:
• Dissemination of knowledge regarding local
conditions and close communication with the local
communities enabling them to assess local needs of
the people and motivating them and enlisting their
ready participation in the development programmes.
• Flexibility of approach, less role bound, no rigid
guidelines as in the government departments. This
enables them to innovate, do action research and
come out with the strategies really related to local
needs.
• Less complex administrative structure as compared to
government departments .Much closer to the
poorest section of the society and they interact
with the section directly across the table.
Strengths continued………………
• Use of local resources.
• Committed to achieve local self sufficiency.
• Involvement of women in the voluntary
agencies programme.
• Access to unpaid or less paid workers.
• They can provide more efficient delivery of
services at substantially lower costs and create
gainful employment
Weakness of Voluntary Organizations:
• Their in ability to co-operate with each other
• Their accountability &transparency is not
proved by &large
• Their operations are small in scale
• Uncertainity over availability of human &
finanacial resources hampering planning of
their activities
Role of Voluntary sector:
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Specialized community health programmes
Integrated Development Programmes
Health Care for Special group of people
Government Voluntary Orhanizations
Health work sponsored by Rotary Clubs,Lions
clubs
• Health Researchers and activists
• Campaign groups
Examples:
• VHAI(Voluntary Health Association of India)
• SEARCH(Society for Education ,Action
&Research in Community Health)
• CRY(Child Relief &You)
• Indian Red Cross Society
• Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh
• Tuberculosis Association of India
• The Kasturba Memorial Fund
SEARCH:
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Women &Child Health
Adolescent education
Alcohol prevention& De-addiction
Tribal Health &Development
-Malaria prevention
-Economic Empowerment of Tribals
-Establishment of Community Youth
-Cultural Rejuvention
• Programmes for Tribal children
Indian Redcross Society:
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Relief
Milk & Medical Supplies
Armed Forces
Maternal& Child welfare services
Family Planning
Blood Bank &First AID