India is the second most populous nation on earth. This means that India's health problems are the world's health problems. And by the numbers, these problems are staggering - 41 million cases of diabetes, nearly half the world's blind population, and 60% of the world's incidences of heart disease. And yet, according to the World Health Organization, a majority of the top 10 causes of death in India are both treatable and preventable. The gap is not in our ability to treat, cure and prevent, but in our willingness to do so.



Embracing the World's Project: Healthcare was born out of Amma's desire to provide outstanding and affordable medical care, regardless of one's ability to pay for treatment. It is with this vision that ETW built a 1300-bed tertiary-care hospital in Cochin, Kerala (AIMS) now recognized as one of the premier hospitals in South Asia. Given that physical access to treatment facilities remains an obstacle towards receiving care, ETW has already built five satellite hospitals in rural areas, and held hundreds of medical camps in even more remote areas home to India's rural and indigenous tribal populations. When ETW finds patients who need more specialized care - like cataract surgery, heart surgery, or treatment for diabetes - they are brought to AIMS where they get the care they need. Other outreach programs include screening and treatment for cleft-lip and lip-palate defects, diabetes treatment and prevention, pain and palliative home care, satellite-enabled telemedicine bringing sophisticated health care to the most remote areas, and primary healthcare training in both urban and rural settings. In times of crisis, ETW medical disaster relief teams have earned a reputation for being first on the scene and the last ones to leave. Since 1998, AIMS and all the healthcare institutions run by Embracing the World have provided more than U.S. $50 million worth of free medical care; more than 1.2 million patients received completely free treatment.

AIMS Satellite Hospitals

Kalpetta, Kerala:
Most patients belong to tribal communities. As many as 200 people a day visit the outpatient clinic. Out of deep concern for the tribal population, the doctors also make rounds to the remote tribal hamlets.

Pampa, Kerala:
This hospital offers 24-hour free medical service near Sabarimala, a popular, remote hilltop temple. The 25-bed hospital provides for the hundreds of thousands who make the pilgrimage. It has two fully equipped ambulances, and a 15-member medical team, including cardiac specialists.

Mysore, Karnataka:
The 20-bed hospital serves the needs of more than 100 poor villages in the area of Bogadi.

Amritapuri, Kerala:
This hospital provides care to the residents of eight coastal villages, as well as to the residents and visitors of Amma's Ashram. Nearly 10,000 people are registered as outpatients.

AIDS Care Center

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
The AIDS Care Center provides compassionate and fully charitable care for patients with HIV/AIDS. An outpatient clinic, open daily, provides free medicines for the poor and helps people with HIV in particular, providing antiretroviral drugs sponsored by the Government of Kerala. The Care Center works to treat both the physical disease as well as to provide psychological support and counseling to such patients and their families, who face the additional challenge of being ostracized by others in their communities. All services and medicines are provided free of charge to all patients.