Dr. Abhijit Vaidya, a renowned physician and cardiologist, founded ‘Bharat Yatra Arogya Chikitsa Kendra,’ a Rural Medical Referral Centre (RMRC) on 30th Dec. 1990, at a small village, Parandawadi near Pune. Novel idea of RMRC came to his mind during his participation in a historical walkathon ‘Bharat Yatra’, undertook by Shri. Chandrasekhar, former Prime Minister of India and Shri. Bhai Vaidya, a veteran socialist leader in 1983 from Gandhi Mandapam, Kanyakumari to Rajghat, Delhi, which he had joined as a doctor for one month and got unique opportunity to see miseries of rural India. It was during this ‘Bharat Yatra’ he realized that rural India certainly lacked primary health care but secondary and tertiary medical care was non existent. To meet this challenge he put forward the idea of RMRC, a specialist diagnostic centre run on weekly basis by practicing specialists from nearby town or city. The RMRC at Parandawadi provided highly specialized services of 25 medical specialists to rural folk from nearly 240 villages for eight years. During this period he also felt need of an organization which would take up various public health issues and fight for health rights of the common man.

An Idea is Born…
Medial relief work during Latur earthquake was an eye opening experience. Due to lack of medical knowledge survivors could not help the victims and unfortunately government medical help reached very late. So if common man was given the knowledge of ‘Disaster Management and Medical Relief Work’ it would change the face of Disaster Management in our country, Dr. Vaidya thought. After coming back from Latur he put forward the idea of training common man in ‘Disaster Management and Medical Relief Work’ and organizing them into a national organization which he named ‘Arogya Sena’ (Health Army). The soldiers of this Health Army would rush in the events of disasters natural as well as man–made and would also take up various public health and social issues. This is how the idea of Arogya Sena (Health Army) was born!

After working on this idea for nearly two years Dr. Vaidya founded ‘Arogya Sena’ (Health Army) on 12th March, 1995 at Bedse, a tiny village from Tal. Maval, Dist. Pune, Maharashtra State, along with his colleagues Mr. Satyajit Vaidya, Mr. Kamlesh Hajare, Dr. Nitin Ketkar, Dr. Vijay Setiya, Dr. Ramesh Bidwe and local youths. Since then he is been traveling extensively with a team of highly educated and dedicated doctors and volunteers, training people in ‘Disaster Management and Medical Relief Work’, binding them into a network of nationwide organization, motivating them to rush in the events of any disaster.

Arogya Sena’s disaster medical relief work…
Since the date of establishment of Arogya Sena, Arogya Sainiks have been helping victims of disasters – natural or manmade and have saved many precious lives. Apart from Latur earthquake Arogya Sena has sent medical teams and trained volunteers during epidemic of Gastro, Tal Mangaon, Dist Raigad (2003), floods in Pune (2004), mega floods in Maharashtra (2005, 2006), Bihar, Orisa, Tamilnadu (2008), drought in Dist. Nagar and Pune (2002) stampede at Mandhardevi, Dist. Satara (2005), fire at Kasewadi slums Pune (2005) and above all tsunami at Tamilnadu and Kerala (2004–05), earthquake at Kashmir (2005) and during mega epidemic of Chikangunya in Kerala (2007, 2008). Arogya Sena also conducted a massive public education campaign during outbreaks of SARS (2003) and Dengue (2004, 2005, 2006). Booklets on SARS and Dengue written by Dr. Vaidya were first publications in Marathi.

Apart from rushing to the rescue of the victims of disasters, our Arogya Sainiks are influencing ‘Planning for Disaster Management’ in their own states, districts, talukas, towns, cities and even villages.

Arogya Sena, as a movement for public health rights…
Arogya Sainiks (Health Soldiers), apart from working in an organized and disciplined fashion with the help of knowledge given to them, are expected to take up various health issues concerning common man. Up till now Arogya Sena has taken up issues like pesticides and dirt in soft drinks, worms in Cadbury chocolates, safety of swimming pools, water sports, tourist spots and roads, commercialization of medical education and profession, privatization of goverment hospitals, pollution and biomedical waste, sanitation of slums and meager provision for health in state and national budget. Many local branches of Arogya Sena have taken up many local issues like conditions of government dispensaries and hospitals, hazardous electrical poles, improper waste disposal and have been instrumental in forcing government machinery to act promptly. Branches of Arogya Sena have become powerful weapons of social change in the health field.

The movement spreads…
At present Arogya Sena has around 14000 trained workers across 10 districts, 30 talukas, 125 villages and 6 cities of Maharashtra State. Branches in many more districts are expected soon. Tamilnadu state branch of Arogya Sena was inaugurated on 24th April 2005 at Nagapattinam. 108 volunteers of nearly 40 NGO’s, involved mainly in Tsunami relief work have completed one day training. Jammu–Kashmir branch was inaugurated on 2nd October 2005 at Jammu. 134 youths completed one day training. Arogya Sena is also expected to spread its wings in many other states soon.

Issues taken up by Arogya Sena
Arogya Sena takes up the issues, studies it in depth, follows it up with concerned authorities, suggests solutions for it and does not hesitate to come on the roads if authorities turn a deaf ear.

1. Worms in Cadbury Chocolates.
2. Dirt in soft drinks.
3. Shortage of Rabies Vaccine.
4. Safety of water bodies at tourist spots and swimming pools.
5. Biological waste Disposal.
6. Use of National Language on Wrappers of Food products and Medicines.
7. Worms in Indian Noni (An ayurvedic product).
8. Fungus in IV BOTTLES.
9. Hygiene of food and drinks available with stalls and hawkers.
10. Epidemics of Dengue, Chikungunya.
11. Privatization of Government Hospitals (Nov 06).
12. Reduction of VAT on life saving equipments especially Ventilators.
13. Burning of garbage.
14. Provision of sufficient toilet at public offices.
15. Meager Provision for health in central, State and local budgets.