The list of doctors reads like a roll call of excellence.But each of them lead by Dr Cynthia Pinto have decided on a different “role”call. The call of service and spreading health awareness out of their rooms andhospitals and in the villages of Goa through the Voluntary Health Associationof Goa (VHAG).
Dr Pinto returned to India in 2009 from Germany with a PhDin Theology and Sociology, with an aim to help people live better by creatingawareness on prevention of ailments. She adopted social service as her careerand has bonded well with the VHAG team. VHAG works in various areas and the team carries out different projects.“Our team comprises of Dr Silvano Sapeco, Dr Anita Dudhane, Dr Ashwini Kumar,Dr Gladstone D’Costa, Dr Madhusudan Joshi and M A Sundaram “ all of whom havecontributed towards the publication of VHAG booklets,” shares Dr Pinto. Thebooklets are the tools that the doctors use to spread awareness and educate themasses. “Our vision is to make health a reality to the people of Goa. We alsostriving to build a healthy nation through research, advocacy, activism andaction,” states Raj Vaidya, the president of VHAG.
She eventually took over as the Executive Director of theVoluntary Health Association of Goa (VHAG) two and a half years ago, afterserving as a volunteer for a year. “My work is challenging and veryfulfilling,” she proclaims.
VHAG is now organising camps in the schools of Quepemtaluka. “We are carrying out a mobile health care project there. The awarenesssessions in this small village of a population of around a lakh have alreadybeen started,” says Dr Cynthia.
VHAG works in collaboration with the Directorate of HealthServices as they undertake projects like encouraging breast-feeding and malariacontrol. Some projects are sponsored by the different corporates across Goa.The parent body, VHAI (Voluntary Health Association of India) also providesfunds for the projects undertaken and some funds are raised through CSRactivities.
‘Finding meaning in suffering’ was the thesis for Dr Pinto’sPhD, and giving life and whole new meaning to these words, she is (along withthe dedicated team of VHAG) marching towards the path of humanity, to ease thesufferings of the lesser beings.
