Some collaborations take time to build—and this one has been worth the wait.
A delegation from the School of Livelihood & Rural Development (SLRD), led by Shri Abhijit Sharma, Director General, SLRD, recently formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AIIMS Bhopal to strengthen healthcare support for rural and tribal communities, with a specific focus on genetic disorders such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia.
For communities in tribal districts, these are not just public health statistics. They represent families where a child’s condition may be diagnosed late—or not at all—simply because the distance between a village and a tertiary healthcare institution is too great to cross.
The clinical expertise exists. Community trust exists. What is often missing is the bridge between the two.
This partnership aims to build that bridge.
AIIMS Bhopal brings its clinical expertise, diagnostic capabilities and treatment protocols, while SLRD brings 23 years of community presence and grassroots experience across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and the North East India.
Together, the organisations aim to strengthen pathways for early detection, sustained management and continuity of care, helping ensure that access to specialised healthcare does not break down at the last mile.
The initiative was driven from the idea stage to the signing of the MoU by Dr. Rehan-Ul-Haq, Dean (Research) and Professor and Head, Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS Bhopal, and Dr. Roshan Chanchlani, Additional Professor, Department of Paediatric Surgery, AIIMS Bhopal.
Their efforts have brought together clinical excellence and community reach with a shared purpose: making specialised healthcare more accessible to the people who need it most.
The MoU is signed. The work begins now.
