News

We’re sad to announce that October’s team to India this year will be Mission Direct’s last campaign in the country.

Mission Direct started working in India in 2014, partnering with non-profit health care provider Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), whose primary focus is to care for the poor through health, development, HIV/AIDS and Disaster relief & rehabilitation programmes.  Our first project here was the build of a new maternity unit at the EHA Hospital in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, replacing a unit built over 50 years ago, which was completed mid 2015.

Lalitpur is a town of roughly a million people and access to trained birth attendants is a key factor in reducing the infant mortality rate. Roughly 30 babies are born each month at the EHA Lalitpur hospital and the hospital provides access to maternity services irrespective of caste, religion or a family’s ability to pay. Without this unit, many families in Lalitpur would be refused treatment due to their financial situations and many would face losing their life – or the life of their newborn – from giving birth on the streets.

In 2016, our teams turned to Harriet Benson Hospital, which provides essential care for the most destitute in Lalitpur. With many patients suffering from chronic diseases, they are totally reliant on the dedication of the hospital staff. The Outpatient Department and Consulting Rooms had suffered from years of neglect, which included major water damage. Our teams last year worked to renovate these areas in order to create a dry and clean environment for both patient and staff.

Our team this year will be building new housing for staff at the EHA hospital. Staff here see themselves as missionaries, which is reflected by the fact that their pay is a meager 20% of those working at Government centres. Currently living in accommodation deemed ‘unfit for human occupancy’, we’re hoping to complete our campaign with EHA by provide some new homes for those that give so much to serve so many.

So many of you have been involved in projects here – not just the above, but the medical teams who have gone to share skills and educate staff here as well as support the palliative care team and home-care treatment.  We are so utterly grateful for everyone that has been involved and feel very blessed to have worked with such incredible people in India – we will miss you all!

If you would like to be a part of our last ever team here, join us in October.

May God bless you!