Utkal Alumina International Ltd., (UAIL) a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group’s Hindalco has launched ‘Nirogsala’. This CSR initiative delivers both preventive and curative healthcare services at the doorstep of the people in the remote villages of Rayagada district in Odisha. Nirogsala healthcare project has been quietly transforming lives at the grassroots. It has set up health dispensaries in distant villages such as Paikakupakhal, Andirakanch, and Gopinathpur in Kashipur block. Nearly 20,000 villagers avail of its services.
Mr. Rabi Mishra, Unit Head at UAIL, says, “Nirogsala was born out of a very real and urgent need. In these remote locations, a medical emergency could mean walking miles without help. By bringing structured, free healthcare services to the people’s doorsteps, we are ensuring that timely aid is no longer a luxury—it’s a right. Our aim is to ensure no life is lost due to inaccessibility.”
Every Nirogsala consists of OPD facilities along with diagnostic support and ambulance availability, it also has the basic medical infrastructure. In-facility pharmacists-full-time, health assistants, and the support of MBBS doctors on rotation every three days keep the essential care within reach. Each centre handles 700–800 patients monthly on average, adds Mr Mishra.
The Sarpanch of Maikanch Gram Panchayat Mr. Mastram Majhi elaborated that “Nirogsala provides free healthcare services to all nearby villages. The residents of Maikanch Gram Panchayat are economically weaker and unable to afford their medical treatment. Thanks to UAIL, they provide needy villagers medical care and life saving medicines at no cost when needed.”
Komal Lochan Jhodia, a resident of Andrakanch village, said, “while using an axe, accidentally I, injured my palm due to a moment of distraction. The wound was deep, and I immediately rushed to the Nirogsala at Andrakanch. The pharmacist there provided me with primary treatment and properly bandaged the wound. I had received the prescribed medicines completely free of cost from Nirogsala. Thankfully, with the care and medication provided at Nirogsala, my palm was healed within few days and now, I am fully recovered and able to work with my hand again.”
Monitored monthly by UAIL’s CSR team and operating independently, Nirogsala is more than a dispensary.
As a responsible corporate citizen and driven by the constant motivation to give back to society, in Odisha, the Aditya Birla Group reaches out to more than 5 lakhs people touching over 2 lakh lives in 128 villages. The Group’s CSR is conducted under the aegis of the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development chaired by Mrs. Rajashree Birla.
The Group’s vision is to actively contribute to the social and economic development of the communities in which we operate. In doing so, build a better, sustainable way of life for the weaker sections of society. And raise the country’s human development index. The Group’s CSR vision is aligned with UNSDG goals to eliminate poverty and ensure freedom from hunger
