India 2013

Many thanks to our team of 47 Aussie health professional volunteers for another successful trip to India in February. This year our team spent two weeks based in Trichy or Kolkata and Katwa and, with our Indian partner agencies, we provided free health care to more than 7,000 people in need of dental, medical, optical and allied health care. Photos of the trip can be viewed in our photo gallery.

Applications for India 2014 open May 2013.

To register yourinterest, send your full name, occupation and contact numbers to info@equalhealth.org.au.

The Equal Health Optical Program is co-funded by Optometry Giving Sight - the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error - simply the need for an eye examination and glasses.

India 2012

Heartfelt thanks to our team of 37 Aussie health professional volunteers for a successful India 2012 camp in February. Together with our Indian partner agencies we provided free health care to more than 8,000 people in need of dental, medical, optical and allied health care. This year our teams spent two weeks based in two locations - Katwa and Trichy.

For highlights of the trip see our volunteers' stories.

A diabetes health education program conducated in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, was funded by the Australian Government through the Direct Aid Program.

India 2011

The 15th annual camp in India last month ended on a high for most of the 52 team members. It went without incident and the initial reports indicate it was very successful in terms of work performed and numbers of people seen. Approximately 12,000 people (1,500 people per day) presented for combined optical, dental, medical and physio consultations in three regions where Equal Health have partner agencies.

Considering the harsh environment of the three locations in India, the limitations placed on team members on the service they can provide, along with the challenge of communicating through interpreters and dealing with another culture so diverse to ours, it's a wonder we don't experience mass team member meltdown during each camp. Although some on the team do have difficulties accepting the environment we thrust ourselves into, almost all endure it well and at the end of the camp feel they have gained something very worthwhile. From comments from many on this year's team, both new and returning members, the experience of 2011 provided many incredible moments.

This year's India team had the highest number of returning team members; just over half of the team were either on last year's placement or one or more previous year's placements. Some of the team were on their fifth or sixth Equal Health camp.

Equal Health works in collaboration with its partner agencies in the following locations:

Katwa, West Bengal

Equal Health works with partner agency Anandaniketan, Society for Mental Health Care to provide allied health services, mental health care, special needs education and optical, dental and medical health care to its residents. Mobile outreach multi-disciplinary health clinics providing optical, dental and general medical services are also conducted in the surrounding village areas.

Tamil Nadu - Trichy and Urapakkam

Equal Health provides mobile outreach multi-disciplinary health clinics in the village areas of Tamil Nadu providing optical, dental, medical and musculoskeletal physiotherapy health care.

You can provide life changing appointments by volunteering your time and skills to provide access to free health care for people in need in India.