In 2013, USA-based Shri Nayanbhai Dalal, his wife Smt. Binduben, sons Aditya, Akash and daughter Anushka visited the PNR Society, Bhavnagar
Service to humanity in Dalal Family’s Genes
There were always conversations between Mumbai-based PNR trustee Shri Prakashbhai Desai and Shri Nayanbhai Dalal about the great work that had been going on at the PNR Society. Meanwhile, Nayanbhai’s oldest son Aditya was volunteering at Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey School. He also thought he should visit school for Cerebral Palsy in India during his upcoming India trip. Aditya’s grandfather, Shri Pravinbhai Dalal advised him to visit PNR Society in Bhavnagar. This led Nayanbhai and family to visit Bhavnagar not just for one or two days but for full five days. Grandfather Shri Pravinbhai Dalal, a lifelong philanthropist and community leader had been a former trustee of PNR Society’s Mumbai Committee. Even after leaving the advisory board, he always kept himself updated of activities with the help of PNR Society’s house magazine ‘Koshish”.
During the visit to PNR Society, Aditya worked on his special school project “Different Worlds, Same Problem: Cerebral Palsy”. He presented the same to PNR board as well as Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey School. The virtues of human service are in the genes of this family.
Invaluable Contribution of the Dalal Family Foundation (USA)
During Dalal family’s very first visit to Bhavnagar, Shri Nayanbhai and family visited and witnessed rehabilitation activities of PNR’s associated institutions and taluka centers. Son Aditya took deep interest in early intervention activities of children with Cerebral Palsy. Shri Nayanbhai and Smt. Binduben liked activity of disability prevention programme which were carried under the PNR – Impact Foundation Partnership. They were especially impressed with administering programme with transparency, accountability, reporting system, teamwork of staff and dedication. To continue running this programme, the Institute required matching fund of Rs. 25 lakhs each year for 5 years. Shri Nayanbhai understood the need and promptly decided to support the programme. He joined the programme as our third partner funding through The Dalal Family Foundation (USA) for 5 years and contributed generous donation of Rs. One crore and forty-one lakhs. This is not all. The partnership of Impact Foundation was ending in 2018, and the project’s future became uncertain. At that time, Nayanbhai came forward explaining the importance of ‘Prevention is better than cure’ and continued his contribution also for the next term. Thus, this project got the boon of life, and the Pravinchandra Dalal Disability Prevention Center was established in the Nataraj Campus of the PNR Society and it is functioning vigorously even today.
PNR society strives towards immunization, awareness building and elimination of diseases through Polio camps, Rubella vaccination drives, Aids for deafness and blindness. Medical research has shown that birth of disable child can be prevented by Rubella immunization of women, and rectify or ease the disability by early intervention.
Began as a prestigious project through the financial support of UK based Impact Foundation and USA based The Dalal Family Foundation along with the support of Echjay Industries of Mumbai and SwarnimUrja Trust of Vadodara, the Prevention of Disability program carried byPravinchandraDalal Disability Prevention Centre (PDDPC). The primary purpose of this Centre is to reduce the birth of disabled children and relieve school-going children from acquired disability like blindness and deafness.
Rubella Vaccination
WHO estimates that more than 80,000 babies are born disabled each year because their mothers contract Rubella (German Measles). Babies may be born with visual or hearing impairment, heart defects and mental retardation. Immunizing women before they become pregnant prevents Congenital Rubella Syndrome. This vaccine is not routinely administered in developing countries like India.
Young girls of 13 to 35 years are administered rubella vaccine to prevent birth of children with disability. High intensity awareness programs are undertaken. Participation from schools, colleges and communities has been overwhelming.
Deafness Prevention
According to a research study, over 2 crore and 90 lakh individuals in the world suffer from defects in hearing or speech, in India. 50% of these defects being rectifiable. As a part of PNR society’s annual checkup drive, PNR mobile team visits schools of rural areas of Bhavnagar district and examines over 3 lakh students each year to find problems like wax, stones, seeds, puss or infection in ear. Those identified with impairment are brought for further examination at ultramodern audiology setup raised in the K. L. Institute for the Deaf, manned by qualified and experienced Audiologist. Hearing aids are given to those who do not need surgical intervention whereas for accessible surgeries like Tympanoplasty, Mastoidectomyand Cochlear implant surgery are taken to the PNR Special Hospital.
Blindness Prevention
According to a recent study around 1Crore and 63 lakhs individuals (Including children and adults) in India suffer from blindness. However, with proper care and correct treatment 80% of the blindness can be prevented. In 2001, PNR Society established a campaign for the prevention, rectification and cure by targeting the rural and urban areas of the district.
Along with deafness checkup, visual impairment is also scientifically checked while visiting schools in the district. Free medicines and spectacles are distributed to the needy. Besides, childhood cataract and pediatric ophthalmic surgery is undertaken at PNR Special Hospital regularly.
Plastic Surgery
Many children are born with defects in their bodies. These defects include cleft-lip, cleft-palate and hypospedia. According to research, 2 in every 1000 babies, on an average, are victims of this defect. These defects lead to problems in eating, drinking, speaking, urination. Corrective plastic surgery can help rectify this problem. PNR Society undertakes free plastic surgery every month at its special multi-specialty hospital of the institute.
What do we do?
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Conduct dedicated camps across Bhavnagar district at schools and colleges for student check-ups and early intervention
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Awareness drives coupled with inspection and vaccination provision
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Keep provision of devices like hearing aids and spectacles
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Rubella vaccination awareness and injection provisions for young girls