Every Sunday from 9.30-11.30am, the Rotary Service Centre at Bhavnagar, Gujarat, doubles up as a public health centre where children up to 15 years were given vaccination in a safe, structured and air-conditioned environment.
Twenty-six years ago, RC Bhavnagar, under its then president Manish Kothari. set up this centre to provide “accessible, reliable and safe vaccination to every child in the community.,” recalls Kothari. Now, it has transformed into a paediatric healthcare clinic offering services to children in Bhavnagar and surrounding areas.
Apart from providing mandatory vaccines as per the Universal Immunisation Programme free of cost with supplies from the health department of the municipal corporation, “we also give additional vaccines for pneumococcal, typhoid, influenza, HPV etc at highly subsidised rates,” he explains. Every child is given a vaccine card under the guidance of a paediatric doctor.
The centre has a reliable cold chain facility, uses disposable syringes and needles, and follows SOPs (standard operating procedures) in line with global immunisation norms. “A team of 20 staff, Rotarians and Rotaractors work every Sunday to ensure a hassle-free experience for children and their parents,” said Kothari.
Every Sunday, the Rotary Centre vaccinates over 250 children who accompany their parents from remote villages and nearby towns. “We collect around ₹2 lakh weekly as vaccination charges on a cost-to-cost basis from parents for additional services apart from mandatory vaccines which are free,” said Jiten Shah, secretary, Rotary Club Society of Bhavnagar.
Vaccination is a lifeline as it protects children from disease, disability and mortality. “Our Rotary Centre not only vaccinates children, but also educates parents about preventive care, thus strengthening the immunity of our communities,” said Kothari. Over the decades, the centre was recognised as a model initiative across the region, and “our project has inspired other clubs and NGOs to replicate similar programmes in their localities.”