Asraya Charitable
A social service organisation serving the poor and weak people, arriving Medical College Hospital Kottayam for treatment.
A Social Organisation serving the weak and poor people arriving Kottayam Medical College Hospital for Treatment of various diseases . Free Supply of Lunch to the patients and bye-standers .giving Medical aid to financially weak patients,supply of clothes to the patients,giving proper guidance and assistance to the patients etc.
Asraya Centre started functioning on 15 March 2007. The Centre is run by Asraya Charitable Trust.
Asraya Charitable Trust is established for the social development, development of youth, helping the poor patients admitted in Medical College Hospital Kottayam by providing them free lunch, providing free lodging for the poor cancer patients coming for medical treatment at the Hospital, providing shelter for the homeless orphans and the aged, providing security for women and children and extending educational guidance and help for the poor and clinical help for the sick.
The centre runs from its own building constructed over 12 cents of land belonging to the Trust. The plan is to construct a 5- storied building and of that construction of three floors have been completed. The lower cellar of the building is being used for kitchen, store, dining room and office. Accommodation is provided in the upper cellar for cancer patients who come for radiation or chemotherapy at the medical college hospital. On the ground floor, there are the staff quarters and a prayer hall
Activities. Free Lodging for Cancer Patients:
Cancer Patients from the neighbouring five districts, namely Pathanamthitta, Alapuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam are referred to the Medical College Hospital here for continued treatment as this is the only government hospital providing expert treatment for Cancer. As treatment for Cancer is prolonged and very costly, the families find it very difficult to cope with the situation. The patients who are subjected to radiation or chemotherapy are not admitted in the hospital. Instead they are treated as out- patients only. About 150 cancer patients are treated as out- patients in this hospital daily.These cancer patients who are referred to Kottayam Medical College are given free accommodation, along with a bystander; in the Centre during chemotherapy or radiation. There are four rooms and a dormitory with twenty three beds to accommodate these patients; thus providing free accommodation for 23 patients and their bystanders at a time. This is a great blessing for the patients because this helps them to continue the radiation by staying in the centre as well it is a great relief to their financial position which is already burdened. There is agreat demand for this accommodation but we have only limited facilities to cater to the demand.
Providing Free Lunch,: Patients admitted in the medical college hospital, mostly have to spend weeks or even months for the treatment. This is a financial burden for them as either the earning member is disabled or he/she has to be with the patient for long period. Getting free lunch for the patient and the bystander during this period is a relief for them. Asraya counselling and guidance centre has been preparing and serving lunch to 300 patients and their bystanders for the last six years. (as of 2014) This service has been made possible through the abundant help and service provided by various organisations like the Youth Association, Vanitha Samajam, School and College students and well wishers.
Providing Medicines and Clothes: Financial help is extended to the poor patients for purchasing medicines, according to availability of funds. Many a patients come to the hospital urgently from far off places that they may not have even clothes to change and many are too poor to buy new ones. Lay men as well as various organisations such as churches, NSS, SNDP and other religious organisations, NSS Units of neighbouring colleges, YMCAs, Y’s men’s club, Red cross, Prayer groups, etc,. collect old but useful clothes and bring them to Asraya. These clothes are distributed from the centre for the needy and it is a great solace for them.
Hospital Visits: Social workers along with members of the Trust visit the patients in the hospital daily and give counselling help and prayers. This is a great help and relief for the patients and their by- standers at the time of great difficulty in their life. This has helped the patients more than the medicines in their recovery.
Cancer-Pain and Palliative Care: Members of the Pain and Palliative Care unit under the centre visit homes of those who are seriously ill and provide help and consolation. Patients who are suffering from chronic diseases and lost all hope in life are comforted by this. Proper medical care is arranged for Patients who are unable to go to hospital. Our workers have been able to console the terminally ill patient and their families.
Visits to the families of bereaved: Members of the Trust and social workers visit families of the dead irrespective of their caste or creed. Very often, the sudden death of near and dear ones by accident or otherwise benumbs and disables the relatives and the crisis counselling group provides them counselling so that they are brought back to normal life.
Counselling and Guidance:
Asraya provides counselling for the cancer patients and their family members staying in the centre. The team visits hospitals, homes of chronic patients, family of the bereaved and provide them counselling to overcome the crisis. Educational , Premarital counselling and also family counselling are also provided by the counselling team of the centre.
Community development programme: Socially underdeveloped areas in distant villages are selected and social workers and Trust members conduct several activities for the benefit of the poor and needy. Pongalakari village near Kumarakom was adopted by Asraya and several developmental works were carried out there. This team of workers take up the cleaning of areas in and around Medical College occassionally. Members participated in construction of houses for the poor in Thiruvanchoor and Kallumkathara.
Blood donation forum: Blood donation camps were organised in different churches and colleges nearby and classes were arranged to make people aware of the importance of blood donation. Blood samples of volunteers were tested and a forum of volunteers who are willing to donate blood on emergency was also formed. On any emergency members of the forum donate blood to patients in Medical college Hospital, Matha Hospital and Carithas Hospital nearby. Several college students and common people have come forward to be members of this forum to participate in the noble life saving venture.
It is a usual plight that whenever patients have to undergo emergency operations or brought after accidents with severe injuries that the relatives and friends have to drastically search for volunteers willing to donate blood. Finding suitable donors with matching blood group is also a tedious job. On several occasions the members of the blood donation forum have come forward to help in such emergencies. Medical students, Nursing students, Youth Associations and social workers have helped through their sincere efforts to maintain this noble service.
Social awareness Programme: Social awareness classes and seminars are organised for general public and college and school students to provide awareness about AIDS prevention, Suicide prevention, etc. Suicide prevention cell of Asraya started working on 10th September 2008. AIDS prevention cell of Asraya was inaugurated by Dr. Sharmila, the district collector Kottayam on the 1st of December 2008.
Organisational structure:
President : H.G.Thomas Mor Themotheos Metropolitan.
(Diocesan Metropolitan
Kottayam Diocese Jacobite Syrian Christian Church)
Vice president : Rev.Fr. M.U Paulose Mangalath
Secretary : Fr. John Iype Mangattu
Treasurer :Rev.Fr. Eldho John Vandanath
Property Manager
& Care Taker :Rev.Fr. Jacob Sherry Mukkanjirathil
P.R.O. : Mr. Kuriakose Varkey Cherickal
Counsellor in Charge : Mrs. Saly Kuriakose Cherickal
Office in Charge : Mr. P.T.Ipe.
Staff : Mr. Sabu Cherian
: Mrs. Sathy Lal.
Internal Auditor : Mr. Mathew Varkey C.
External Auditor : Mr. M.K. Kuruvilla FCA.
Registration Details:
Registered as Asraya Charitable Trust.
Reg. No. 158/07 Established on 10th April 2007.
Contact address:
Asraya Guidance Centre,
Gandhinagar P.O.,
Kottayam- 686008.
Ph: 0481-2399455, 2594965,
Collaborating / Supporting Agencies.
NSS units of CMS College Kottayam, St. Marys College Manarcadu, NCC of St. Marys College Manarcadu, Red Cross unit of St. Marys College Manarcadu, St. Marys High School Manarcadu, YMCA Thiruvanchoor, Ys Men Club Kottayam, Gregorian Pain and Palliative Centre Thoothootty, Kaniyamkunnu Brothers and Senior Citizens Forum Thiruvanchoor.
Project Details:
Asraya Charitable Trust is in possession of 12 cents of land and a three storied building where the activities of the Trust are carried out. The plan is to construct a 5-storied building for its activities but due to paucity of funds only three stories could be completed. Lower cellar of the building is being used for Kitchen, store, office, dining room, etc,. Cancer patients are admitted in the four rooms and the dormitory in the upper cellar. On the ground floor there is a prayer hall and staff quarters.
At present we are able to provide lodging facility for about 23 patients and their bystanders only. But the demand is much more. Hence we plan to construct the first floor for accommodating cancer patients who come for radiation or chemotherapy. Rooms could be constructed in the first floor to accommodate at least 25 more patients.The case of kidney patients who require dialysis is similar to that of cancer patients. But they cannot be accommodated along with cancer patients. Hence we want to use the Second floor of the proposed building for accommodating Kidney patients who come for treatment at the Medical College Hospital Kottayam.
Hence there is an immediate need to expand our activities in this field by providing more facilities to the cancer patients and extending the same for kidney patients also. This brings us to the requirement of adding two more stories to the existing building of the Centre. Plan and estimate for the construction are ready and is being submitted along with this request.
Action component: Providing free lodging facilities for more number of cancer patients coming to Kottayam Medical College Hospital for Chemotherapy or Radiation and commencing same for patients coming for dialysis due to kidney problems.
Location: Asraya Centre near Medical College Kottayam.
Justification: Asraya has been doing several charitable activities for the last seven years. Of them the most significant and most sought after are the free Lodging for Cancer Patients and the free lunch provided to 300 in- patients and their bystanders of the Medical College Hospital. To run these facilities we could purchase 12 cents of land and complete construction of three stories of a proposed five storied building. This was facilitated by the whole hearted support of well wishers.
The immediate need before us is to enhance the service being provided for cancer patients coming for radiation and chemotherapy at the Medical College Hospital and also to extend the facilities to kidney patients requiring dialysis. This requires the construction of two more stories to the existing building. We have almost exhausted all our resources and we need financial help from any source to complete this venture for the benefit of the poor and needy in the society.
General Information
Serving the weak and poor people arriving Kottayam Medical College Hospital for Treatment of various diseases . Free Supply of Lunch to the patients and bye-standers .giving Medical aid to financially weak patients,supply of clothes to the patients,giving proper guidance and assistance to the patients etc.
ASRAYA GUIDANCE CENTRE.
(Under Asraya Charitable Trust)
Near Medical College, Gandhinagar P.O.,
Kottayam.-686008, Kerala.
Ph. +91- 481-2399455
+91- 481- 2594965
Cell +91-9448734019.
Email: asrayacharitabletrust@gmail.com