Founded in 1964 by Mrs. K. Varalakshmi Rao , SSMI is a secular, independent non-profit society registered under the Societies Act 1860 (Regd. No S 2499/1964).
SSMI is not affiliated to any national or international organisation.
Focus Areas
SSMI’s primary focus areas are: Women Empowerment, Education, Health and Fine Arts. SSMI establishes models for the social sector based on an operating philosophy “that while private initiatives could set up centres of excellence, outreach and scale-up is possible only through Government schemes”.
- Women Empowerment
- In partnership with the Government of NCT of Delhi, provides supplementary nutrition to about 40,000 beneficiaries (women and children) daily.
- Operates a Gender Resource Centre in 14 slum clusters in West Delhi.
- Creates livelihood for under-privileged women.
- Education
- Manages institutions –Aided Primary School, Aided Secondary School and ECCE (Balwadi).
- Developed a toolkit for first time learners (including pre-school children).
- Conducts research studies and surveys, training and capacity building in focus areas.
- Health
- In partnership with Vision for All (Switzerland) along with the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) provides extensive ophthalmologic care to school children and slum dwellers.
- Conducts regular health (including Dental care and nutrition) camps.
Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute
Road No 31
Gini Devi Marg (East Avenue)
East Punjabi Bagh
New Delhi – 110 026.
Tel – 91-11-28313555.
E-mail info@ssmi.in
The Nirmala Gopalakrishnan centre for health care draws its strength from SSMI’s reach within the community. The operating philosophy of the centre is that community mobilization and delivery of medical treatment are specialised fields and that in order to optimise health care delivery both should complement each other.
Ophthalmological services
A major initiative of SSMI is in the area of ophthalmology.
Supported by Vision for All (Switzerland) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, SSMI provides comprehensive eye care for people living in the slums of West Delhi and for School Children.
"In less than three years almost ten thousand refractions have been conducted and almost half of those tested were provided spectacles (at a discounted price of Rs. 75per spectacle for children and Rs.100 for adults); five hundred cataract operations have been performed. An equal number of ocular diseases were treated. Nearly 8000 children from 12 schools have been screened under the school screening programme ".
Dental Clinic
The centre has a fully equipped dental clinic. In addition oral hygiene check-ups are conducted in the slums. Through one such check-up in a slum Golden Park the prevalence of fluorosis was identified.
Health camps
The centre regularly conducts health and nutrition camps in the slums of West Delhi on a regular basis. Between April 2011 and March 2012 six health camps and thirty clinics have been held in the slum clusters of West Delhi and about 4000 patients have been given treatment.
School health programme
A clinic operates every school day for the care of the school children. Regular health check-ups are held for children from class I to X. A record of ten years is maintained for each student through these check-ups.
The school Health Program provides awareness on health and nutrition Issues. It conducts quiz and debates on topics of water and sanitation, diabetes, growth pains, adolescence, hand washing, life skills, first aid demonstration, eye & dental care and nutrition. It raises awareness on tobacco and smoking including HIV and sexuality.
SSMI conducts regular capacity building workshops for teachers on Life skills, AIDS & HIV, Tobacco chewing and smoking. The program encourages organisation like Hriday Shaan, Tobacco & TB association to talk to students and conduct sessions on related topics
Source: Swamy Sivananda Memorial Institute, New Delhi