About 65% of India’s population resides in rural areas, making the provision of medical care a daunting challenge. Why? The resources and knowledge that open up access to care can be hard to come by. Mitsubishi Electric endeavors to serve Indian society and help spark change for the better, and to that end, the Japanese firm helped launch an initiative called Health Awareness Camps. Camps deliver medical care and guidance on health maintenance directly to people in need, making care openly available and helping people lead healthier lives.

To a Healthier World

More than 70% of the people who die each year around the world fall victim to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, and diabetes. In India, the figure is around 60%. In many cases, people are not able to eat nutritiously or obtain fresh, healthy foods, or may be in circumstances where they are not physically active. If information could be provided to these people about how important it is to manage their health and have regular medical checkups, they might have a better chance of living longer, more fulfilling lives.

To tackle this growing problem, the Indian government established the National Health Mission (NHM) — with sub-missions the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) — in 2013 with the aim of making sure people around the country have access to affordable, quality health care.

Since its establishment in 2010, Mitsubishi Electric India (MEI), inspired by its "Changes for the Better" ethos, has delivered air conditioners, factory automation technology, semiconductors and devices, transport systems and more to help drive India’s continued growth and development. But the manufacturer decided to step out of the realm of business and show support for both the efforts of the government and the welfare of the people of the region, while at the same time contributing to the realization of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MEI developed and conducted our first Health Awareness Camps in the spring and summer of 2019, bringing fundamental medical checkups, health education — and in many cases, smiles — to about 2,000 children and adults.

Knowledge Is Power

Pune is a city spanning about 16 square kilometers, with a population of just under four million. Many of these people are not near quality, reliable medical care. MEI’s Factory Automation & Industrial Division is located in the vicinity, so it decided to reach out and support the community by conducting Health Awareness Camps. In June 2019, at two locations, experienced medical professionals teamed with volunteers to provide basic medical care and advice on healthier lifestyles to more than 500 children and adults. What’s more, MEI arranged for the installment of pure water systems at all three schools, ensuring that the kids and staff can enjoy clean, cold drinking water and are well hydrated—which is essential to good health.

MEI Managing Director Katsunori Ushiku spoke about the motivation behind the company’s efforts to help. "We are constantly working toward the betterment of society, and through such activities, MEI hopes to convey the importance of healthy lifestyles in the further development of society."

A Daily Effort

These CSR activities undertaken by MEI support not only the people of the regions in which they are conducted; they also serve to bolster the Indian government’s NHM initiatives, in addition to supporting the drive toward achieving the UN’s SDGs of Quality Education, Good Health and Well-Being, and Clean Water and Sanitation. And MEI will work to expand the scope of these activities, to bring much needed help and support to as many people as possible. "We care about our surroundings, and healthy living is a necessity for the development of society," says Mr. Hisahiro Nishimoto, Director of MEI’s Factory Automation & Industrial Division. This echoes the sentiment of Mitsubishi Electric as a whole. MEI’s project is just one more of our stories illustrating how, day after day, people are working to make changes for the better around the world.

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