Dr. M M Raja
Dr. Raja grew up in a family of 39, in an Indian family living in the rural "Aurangabad district." To manage such an extensive household, authority was given to senior family members, whom often made decisions on behalf of younger generations. Sometimes these decisions were ill informed and even led to life threatening situations. Dr. Raja's wife, Dr. Nuzhat Perween's experience was no exception, as she suffered through a dangerous first labor.
Following the guidance of family members, Dr. Raja and his wife forwent the hospital and instead delivered their first born at home. Dr. Raja recalls what happened that day, “Unfortunately, my wife faced much trouble during delivery. Almost all water had been discharged, the baby was still inside, and the pain too much. The nurse was not experienced and a doctor, not available.”
Fortunately, their son Aamir was delivered, but his fight was far from over. Aamir continued to cry until the Government doctor was contacted and responded by giving the child oxygen. When the crying persisted, Aamir was rushed to Patna, Bihar’s capital, and immediately taken to the ICU where he stayed for over three weeks.
“When he was discharged, we were given instructions that our baby may be a slow learner. This is true after eight years” Raja states. His wife’s struggle during labor and his son’s fight for survival are the inspiration behind Dr. Raja’s commitment to Reproductive Health and Family Planning.
In his hometown, Dr. Raja founded The Daudnagar Organization for Rural Development (DORD) in 1993 with the vision of helping his community with current health crises such as HIV/AIDS and a lack of sex education. At the time, there were no quality doctors to guide women’s healthcare, nor private or government trained surgeons to perform more permanent procedures. Few women had access to modern contraception, which contributed to the average family having at least five children. These maternal health services were lacking which contributed to a variety of systemic issues in an already extremely marginalized and underserved population.
By 2005 Dr. Raja saw a significant improvement as a direct outcome from DORD’s programmatic efforts, and specifically through greater sexual health awareness.
“Approximately one third of married women used a modern family planning method in 2005, almost twice as many as in 1994. Moreover, the average family in Daudnagar, Obra & Haspura now has fewer than three children.”
DORD continues to develop modern practices in healthcare. In the last five years, under the guidance of Dr. Raja, DORD has constructed a health facility for Eye Care and Family Planning and gynecological services.
In 2010, Dr. Raja implemented a program with the DORD Reproductive Health Hospital funded by an LDM Mini Grant. The 3-month project spanned 221 villages in Daudnagar, Obra & Haspura, areas that jointly reach a population of approximately 4,000, 000. Dr.Raja’s main goal was to increase awareness of Family Planning and the benefits of permanent birth control, and drive individuals to seek out the free services offered at the DORD Hospital. He identified target groups in need of increased awareness of modern contraception and collaborated to creatively disseminate new and informed practices, dispelled cultural myths, and increased interest and commitment to learning more about sexual health options. Interactive plays and support groups for women also played a vital role in expanding the community’s knowledge on these issues.
The program proved incredibly successful, meeting both the short-term goals of providing higher quality care in the hospital facilities and free contraceptive services (specifically Vasectomy or Tubectomy) to a significant number of individuals.
Sita Devi is one of the 5,412 beneficiaries of DORD’s community-based awareness campaigns. She received counseling and referral services from DORD’s facilities, and with this information, opted for a Tubectomy. “She has three girls but does not want more children. She and her husband want to focus on giving the children what they already have a quality education, good health and a strong livelihood,” Raja says of the pair he and his colleagues call, “The Happy Couple.”
For Sita, this education and ability to take control of her body and sexual health was a source of empowerment. Sita was given the foresight to achieve long-term goals and a higher quality of life. Empowerment is one of the most powerful and giving results to materialize from Dr. Raja’s project and will undoubtedly alter family life and the dynamics of the community.
“Sita is a key source of health information in her village and motivates others to find the help they need with the idea that the ability to plan your family will lead to a higher quality of life.”
Dr. Raja’s program not only had a strong effect at the local level, such as in the personal lives of women like Sita, but at the institutional level as well. As a mark of achievement and high professional standards, the DORD hospital received government accreditation by the District Health Society, which helped to establish sustainable services to benefit the modern family in terms of maternal and child health.
As a result of Dr. Raja’s program implementation through the LDM mini-grant:
- Awareness of free Hospital Family Planning Services and Facilities increased by 30%
- Nearly 90% of pregnant women deliver in government and private hospitals with the assistance of free government ambulance services
- Individuals seek out Tubectomy or Vasectomy, at will
Dr. Raja’s leadership strength and advocacy efforts have reshaped the sexual health and family dynamic for couples in the Aurangabad district. In addition, DORD’s awareness programs under the LDM mini-grant have reached the “second family” of in-laws, redistributing family planning control to the couple, and ultimately reducing the strain of reproductive health on women. Dr. Raja and his family have also benefited from the transformation in local health services as he has since fathered two more healthy children, who were born at the district hospital.