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In order to make affordable, quality health care available to the rural villagers of the Villupuram District, Dalit Solidarity built St. Mary's Health Center in the village of Odiyathur. St. Mary's is a 10 bed health center, with pharmacy and laboratory facilities. Its full-time staff includes a physician, two nurses, a pharmacist and laboratory technician. St. Mary's is administered by Community Care Trust, a registered Indian charitable trust, and a subsidiary of Dalit Solidarity.
During the past years, three satellite clinics were opened to better serve the health care needs of the larger villages of Kakkanur, Ariyalur and Ayanthur. Over 1500 patients are treated at these facilities each month.
St. Mary's also operates a medical outreach program. The staff travels to a different village each week, to provide on site care and health education programs. Approximately 150 patients per week receive treatment through the outreach program.
In 2004, St. Mary’s enrolled students in its first Nurses Aid Training Program. The Nurses Aid Program is part of Dalit Solidarity’s community college program that provides one year of vocational training for high school graduates in a variety of disciplines.
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