All of EHA’s 19 hospitals run projects in their communities not only to provide medical care, but also to help with advocacy for government benefits, assist those with disabilities, and teach better agricultural and other income-generating skills, among other things. Sewa Bhawan Hospital is no exception. One service they offer is palliative care. The hospital staff go out into the villages to find people suffering with long-term or terminal illness.

They found one man who was suffering through the final stages of oral cancer, while his wife, Kanti, was about to give birth to their sixth child. This family was out of money because of the cancer treatment they had sought, and Kanti felt helpless. During the time that the staff was working with them, the husband died and Kanti lost her unborn baby. She was grief stricken and inconsolable, and the staff stood by her. They sat Kanti down and asked how they could help her provide for the family and pay off their debt.

Kanti decided that she wanted to rear goats, so the staff gave her a she-goat with two kids. In this way, they provided her with a livelihood to sustain herself and her children, as well as a chance to gain financial independence. The staff were satisfied to know that this family would feel valuable and be cared for. Many times, the outreach of EHA staff goes way beyond hospital care.