Patti Village Clinic

Began in 2010 | Patti, Uttarakhand, India

Supported by CFHI, the Patti Village Clinic is the sole source of healthcare for underserved populations living in the northwestern foothills of the Himalayas and serves as the connective link between the clinic and larger medical facilities for more than 2,500 patients. Without this clinic the nearest health services are accessible in the city of Dehradun, an overwhelming distance for many. Villagers from nearly 28 villages have developed a growing faith in the healthcare team and many often travel 4 to 5 hours on foot over rough terrain to seek primary care and pharmacological services. The Patti Village Clinic supports female health promoters who are chosen from the community and trained to provide primary health services and education in prevention and treatment of common and minor illnesses. It plays a major role in the prevention of water borne diseases and seasonal health problems and has motivated communities to adopt improved waste management techniques to support good health and hygiene and to be more receptive towards natural remedies and local medicinal plants. 

The Patti Village Clinic is composed of Dr. Paul, a local physician, and his team. It also arranges mobile health camps focused on hygiene, family planning, nutrition, maintaining vaccination records, and proper care of the elderly, as well as serving as a platform to support fundraising initiatives for expensive treatments, surgeries, and emergencies. 

In 2019, nearly 1,800 patients visited the Patti Village Clinic and 23 health outreach camps were conducted. Special emphasis was placed on promoting the health of children. The clinic team along with program participants led free yoga classes and taught the village children about healthy lifestyles and basic first aid skills. In addition, a study on the comparative analysis of Ayurveda and Allopathy helped the village community understand the holistic approach of the clinic team. The Patti Village Clinic has also helped the local community acheive a major decline in malnutrition among children and focus on family planning to further maintain better health standards and socioeconomic status.

Program participants of CFHI's Rural/Urban Himalayan Rotation and Intro to Traditional Medicine global health education programs have the opportunity to rotate alongside Dr. Paul and his team at the Patti Village Clinic, a unique opportunity to understand local health care setup and management in rural and resource limited areas and gain exposure to natural remedies and local medicinal plants.