Kachhwa Christian Hospital
![Kachhwa entrance rect](https://ehausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kachhwa-entrance-rect.jpg)
EHA’s Kachhwa Christian Hospital began in 1894 as a tent dispensary and was developed into a hospital in 1897. Just two years later, the staff were treating 16,400 outpatients and 150 inpatients yearly, as well as performing 270 surgeries.
Today the hospital has grown to offer a variety of services, including pediatrics, ophthalmology, oncology, facial surgery, dentistry, physiotherapy, and many types of lab work. In the course of a year, their outpatient department now serves 25,500 patients, and approximately 3,700 are admitted to the inpatient department. Their surgical department is kept busy performing over 500 surgeries each year.
In the last few years, Kachhwa has not had a high enough patient footfall to keep up with bills and salaries, and they have fallen somewhat behind. If you would like to contribute to help Kachhwa meet these needs, click on the button on the top right corner of the page.
Project Prem Helps Struggling Students
![Kachhwa Priya rect](https://ehausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kachhwa-Priya-rect.jpg)
Priya is the youngest of four children, and her family struggled to get by. She had been a part of the Compassion India Project, and then joined Project Prem (“love” in Hindi). One of the many educational efforts of Kachhwa Christian Hospital, Project Prem seeks to help struggling students progress in their education.
Priya experienced difficulties in school, but her studies improved with coaching from Prem staff. Every day, she walked six miles to school and back, the only one of her siblings seeking an education. Next Priya joined Prem’s adolescent group, where she found inspiration and courage through their program. She also learned to love and respect her parents better.
At the end of tenth grade, she overcame her fears and took her exams, unexpectedly earning a score of 81 percent. She plans to become a doctor, and is diligently studying biology toward this goal. Priya is so thankful to Project Prem staff for their support toward her achievement. It has made all the difference for her between not finishing school at all and working toward higher education and a rewarding career.
Gunja Experiences Life Turn-Around
![KCHGunjarect](https://ehausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/KCHGunjarect.jpg)
Gunja Masih’s life has completely turned around. She lives in Mamotapur village in Uttar Pradesh where she used to sell vegetables door to door. Her family was extremely poor, yet she would spend all she made each day on alcohol. Returning home empty handed, Gunja would have nothing to give her husband, and consequently he would beat her. But she could not stop drinking.
Then the CHP (Community Health Project) team from Kachhwa Christian Hospital visited Mamotapur and introduced the idea of a Self Help Group. About fifteen ladies came together and formed a Self Help Group, and Gunja was one of them. Inviting the team to her home, Gunja shared about her personal life and family. The team encouraged her to make changes.
Then a great transformation was seen in her life when she stopped drinking. Through the Self Help Group, her family has been able to save money, and she started her own business in front of her home, earning a good livelihood for her family. Everyone is so thankful for this turnaround.
Busy Season for Eye Doctors
![KCHeyerect](https://ehausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/KCHeyerect.jpg)
October to March is the busy season for Kachhwa Christian Hospital’s resident ophthalmologist and team of technicians. During these months, the team conducts eye camps and cataract operations in the surrounding villages. Last year they conducted over 3,000 operations. They will very likely conduct at least that many again this year.
Survey Helps Pinpoint Greatest Need
![KCHsurvey](https://ehausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/KCHsurvey.jpg)
Workers in the Kachhwa area are carrying out surveys to identify those below the poverty line, and thus enable them to receive the government assistance available to them. With the information gathered through the surveys, workers will also be better able to assist with healthcare and provide subsidized treatment through Kachhwa Christian Hospital.
Another survey will identify the differently abled in the community. Several workers from Kachhwa Christian Hospital have been trained by another EHA unit to learn more about this field and to improve their own hospital unit to be involved in community-based rehabilitation.
In addition to the surveys, many of the second-level leaders are completing a Community Development Organizers program, which entails practical field work in the villages. Local young people are being taught in community health. Through all of these endeavors, the workers hope to raise up men and women committed to serving their community in the days ahead.
![Kachhwa entrance rect](https://ehausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kachhwa-entrance-rect.jpg)
About Kacchwa Christian Hospital
Founded over a century ago, Kachhwa Christian Hospital is located in Uttar Pradesh in North-Central India. This area has the state’s largest concentration of scheduled castes, a poor and marginalized group of people. KCH reached its strongest season in the early 1970s under Dr. Neville Everad. After he and his fellow doctors left, the hospital was difficult to sustain. It reached its weakest point in 2002. Since then, Kachhwa Christian Hospital has been strengthened with new staff and more innovative programs.
KCH focuses on reaching out to the surrounding communities. They serve people from 90 nearby villages with a total population of 120,000. In addition to the clinical services provided through the hospital, KCH also stresses community health and spiritual ministry, micro-enterprise development, education, and leadership development. They have a training center which allows villagers to choose training in various trades, including dental and eye technicians, sewing, air-conditioning installation, electrical work, and nursery school teaching. They also offer literacy training.
Eye care has been a recent focus for Kachhwa Christian Hospital. They have a new operating room for eye surgeries as well as a new overflow ward with fifty beds for eye patients. Two vision centers service patients, and they have an eyeglasses shop as well.