Social Service in ttd tirumala

TTD has taken many social service initiatives in areas like education, medical treatment, and rehabilitation of the physically challenged and economically backward. It also provides aid to authors and subsidised equipment to other temples.



The objective of the Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD) is to provide medical treatment/facilities to those suffering from polio myelitis, cerebral palsy, congenital anomalies, spinal injuries, and the orthopaedically handicapped, particularly the poor, irrespective of religion, caste or creed.

In 1994, BIRRD was converted to a Trust. TTD provides a matching grant to the Trust, equivalent to the donations it receives. A proposal for 100% exemption under the Indian Income Tax Act, for donations to BIRRD is under consideration.

BIRRD operates from a spacious hospital with a capacity of 250 beds, built at a cost of Rs. 4.5 crore. It has five operation theatres, a modern Artificial Limb Fitting Centre (that provides aids and appliances, free of cost, to physically handicapped patients) and a sophisticated Physiotherapy Department. Research is also conducted here.

Currently, BIRRD is in the process of collecting data pertaining to polio-affected children in Andhra Pradesh, after which it will start screening patients at the district level. With the help of voluntary organisations, three districts have already been covered under this scheme.

BIRRD proposes to start a Total Spinal Trauma Care Centre with comprehensive rehabilitation. It also plans to introduce post graduate and graduate courses in Physiotherapy.

Donate to the BIRRD Scheme


Sri Venkateswara Poor Home is a hospital that caters to the needs of leprosy patients. It is one of the largest of its kind in India, and admits persons suffering from various forms of leprosy, from all over India.

The hospital is well-equipped, with twenty inpatient wards. The outpatient block has an operation theatre and physiotherapy section.

Patients are treated with intensive multi-drug therapy and given physiotherapy. They are also educated about the prevention and care of leprosy. The average duration of treatment varies from six to eighteen months.

During treatment, patients also undergo occupational therapy where they are trained in skills like carpentry, shoe-making and weaving. The training helps in the patients' rehabilitation in society.
The inpatients are given training in agriculture. They are trained to grow different crops. The produce is used by the hospital; the excess produce is sent to the other institutions of TTD.

TTD set up the Leprosy Rehabilitation Promotional Unit (LRPU) in 1988 in the Sri Venkateswara Poor Home campus at Tirupati under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme of the Government of India. The Government of India provides full financial assistance - Rs 4 lakh annually.

The objective of LRPU is to provide reconstructive surgery and artificial prosthetic support to leprosy patients and help them in rehabilitation.

Patients are provided several facilities including free food and accommodation.

The Poor Home has set its sights on the total eradication of leprosy in India. It aims to increase awareness among the public about leprosy through health education. It keeps abreast with the latest technical know-how by deputing its staff to various medical institutions, and conducting seminars periodically to focus on the latest trends in treatment and rehabilitation measures.

TTD has been inspired by Mother Teresa who once remarked, "When I am washing the wounds of a leper, I feel I am doing great service to the Lord ".

Would you like to donate to the SV Poor Home?


Overview

Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) caters to the medical needs of the poor and needy in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh.

Currently, the Institute has the following departments:

Cardiology Cardiothoracic Surgery Nephrology
Urology Neurology Gastroenterology
Endocrinology Neurosurgery Anaesthesiology
Radiology Pathology Bio-chemistry
Micro-biology Blood Bank Nuclear Medicine
Physiotherapy Transfusion Medicine Diabetics


Objectives

To render high-technology medicine and develop patterns of teaching at post-graduate (PG) level in super specialities and to impart high standard of medical education
To render services to the people of Rayalaseema area and the surrounding districts in medical super-specialities at affordable cost.


Academic Services

Apart from patient care, teaching and research is an important activity here. The faculty actively participates in National and International Conferences and presents research data. SVIMS was upgraded to a medical university in 1995.

CME programmes for general practitioners and junior doctors is a regular feature of the Institute. About ten PG Diploma Courses (PGDC) in various specialities have been started. The College of Nursing offers a bachelor's degree in Nursing. Proposals to start DM and MCh courses are under consideration.

SVIMS University offers the following courses:


The Haritha Project was launched by TTD at a cost of 1.5 crore to conserve ground water resources and the forests on the Tirumala Hills.

Developmental activities are being taken up on a massive scale under this project by the TTD Forest Department, based on the satellite image of the areas provided by the State Forest Department.

Objectives

To conserve rain water and improve the ground water level
To plant about 1 crore saplings
To green 29,500 acres of forest area, belonging to TTD and the State government, within 3 years
To protect the forests from fire
To develop the areas adjoining the important tirthas.
Conservation of Water

TTD has constructed several cement checkdams, contour trenches, masonry embankments and percolation tanks to prevent the rain water from draining off the Seshachala Hills.

Eighty kilometre long peripheral trenches have been dug from Rangampeta to Kodur. Besides, 89 checkdams, 136 Gabrion checkdams, 3884 rock fill dams have been built. Check dams have also been constructed on the first and second ghat roads from Tirupati to Tirumala to prevent the draining of water and the erosion of soil.

These sustained efforts have contributed in a substantial improvement in the ground water level. A report given by the Department of Groundwater mentions an increase of 3.155 million cubic metres and 6.59 million cubic metres of recharge in groundwater in the years 2000 and 2001 respectively.

Planting of Seedlings
Over 65 lakh seedlings such as those of Red Sanders, Margosa, Teak, Sampangi, Tamarind, Gooseberry and Blackberry have been planted under the Haritha project. Over 40 tons of seeds of Margosa, Tamarind and Blackberry have also been planted.

Protection from Forest Fires
To protect the forests on the hills from fires, 130 kilometre-long fire lines have been constructed, besides 60 kilometre-long fire walls. A special squad carrying walkie talkies has been appointed to report forest fires, facilitating immediate action

Development of areas adjoining the Holy Tirthas

One of the main objectives of the Haritha Project is the development of areas around the important tirthas on the Tirumala Hills. 20,000 saplings have been planted in the premises of
S.V. Ruia Hospital, BIRRD, SVIMS and the Ayurveda Hospital. Avenue plantation has been
carried out on the Tirupati - Renigunta road and Tirupati - Tiruchanoor road, covering a
distance of 15 kilometres