Tata Steel Foundation Jamshedpur signs MoU with East Singhbhum district administration to eradicate clubfoot

Jamshedpur, March 14: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the district health authority of East Singhbhum, Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) and Anushkaa Foundation at office of Deputy Commissioner, Jamshedpur for the implementation of the Clubfoot Elimination Project in East Singhbhum today. This initiative is aimed at identifying, enrolling, and treating children born with clubfoot (children under two years of age) by providing suitable healthcare services in the district.

The MoU signing ceremony was held in the presence of Ananya Mittal, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum and Dr Jujhar Manjhi, Civil Surgeon of the district, as representative of the Department of Health, Medical Education & Family Welfare, East Singhbhum. Suresh Subramaniam represented the Anushkaa Foundation, whereas Sourav Roy, Chief Executive Officer of Tata Steel Foundation, was present along with Dr Anuj Bhatnagar, Head – Public Health, Tata Steel Foundation among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Sourav Roy said, “The Public Health team at Tata Steel Foundation makes use of a multi-disciplinary approach, bringing together a diverse team of experts, researchers, healthcare professionals and community resource persons. We believe that strong partnerships and meaningful dialogues are key factors in addressing healthcare issues through sustainable solutions. We extend our gratitude to the Department of Health, Medical Education & Family Welfare and Anushkaa Foundation for Elimination of Clubfoot for the trust they have in us and for providing assistance in the initiation of this project.”

The objectives of this partnership include operationalizing weekly clubfoot clinic at Sadar Hospital, Jamshedpur to provide quality treatment with ease of access, training healthcare providers in Ponseti Method, conducting outreach activities to identify and refer patients, counselling parents and guardians through in-clinic and home visit sessions and ensuring availability of foot abduction braces for patients during the maintenance phase of treatment. Over a span of two years, the project aims to initiate comprehensive treatment for children with clubfoot.

Through initiatives like the Clubfoot Elimination Project, the Foundation along with its strong network of partners cater to the healthcare needs of underserved communities in remote and hard-to-reach areas in alignment with the third Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations.