Students of Gujarat Vidyapith studying in the master's degree course for Psychiatric Social Work got a chance to stay in the Lok Swasthya Mandal Organisation (Trust for Reaching the Unreached) for 10 days in Rural Camp. This is their experience in their own words:

"We are thankful to Dr. Ashwin bhai and Nimita ben to give us this wonderful opportunity of learning and exposure of field in Community. The Organisation has done an immense and impactful work in community base rehabilitation for health and mental health.

Our students got a chance to visit the villages of Halol, Kalol and Jambughoda district and understand the current situation of mental health problems of the patients. They also carried a survey of problem Assessment and met 173 patients of this rural community.

As Dr. Ashvin bhai and Nimita ben said that as a social worker we need Passion, Skills and Sensitivity for the community which will make our work meaningful and impactful. We Thank Dr. Ashwin bhai, Nimitta ben and all the staff of Lok Swasthya Mandal for wonderful support and care.

Our Best Wishes to the Organisation."

In Halol taluka, the Trust for Reaching the Unreached organized a meeting for the ASHA (Accredited Social and Health Associates) workers on the topic of community and mental health. TRU conducts training for the ASHA workers, who are from local villages, to identify symptoms of mental illnesses and steps they need to take to get the patients help. Mr. Sureshbhai Parmar reported from the sammelan for Visphot news.

TRU organized a meet for the mental health patients' caregivers at the referral hospital in Halol. TRU works in Halol, Kalol, Ghoghomba, Jambughoda etc talukas on mental health treatment and awareness generation. The TRU mental health community workers go to each village and identify people suffering from mental illnesses to provide them with free treatment. TRU also organizes various events on mental health awareness in these regions. The mental health caregivers play a critical role in ensuring timely treatment to the patients, and therefore in their rehabilitation. The goal of the TRU mental health program is to rehabilitate patients in their homes and workplaces, rather than putting them through institutional treatment process.
- Sureshbhai Parmar

Under the mental health program, TRU workers have conducted three classes at each school in Halol, Kalol, Jambughoda, and Ghoghomba talukas. Following the classes, an examination and drawing competition was also organized in each school. The culminating event took place in the Shivrajpur center of TRU, where prizes were distributed to the winners and other events like debate and quiz were also organized.
- Reported by Sureshbhai Parmar and bureau chief Pranavbhai Patel for Jhalawad News

A profile was published in Sandesh newspaper on origins and ongoing work of TRU that talked about the founders, Nimitta Bhatt and Dr. Ashvin Patel, community health work, community-based mental health work, the girls education program, and low-cost laboratory services provided in Vadodara.
- Published in Sandesh

TRU runs a low-cost laboratory and pathology services in Vadodara. Compared to other commercially-run laboratories, the TRU 'Rahat Nidan Kendra' laboratory services cost 50% lower. The services include sonography, x-ray, EKG, and blood tests. The report in Sandesh also listed other work areas of TRU in rural areas including community health, the girls education program, and sewing classes for girls in slums of Gotri area in Vadodara.
- Reported by Benezir Pathan in the Social Work column in the Sanskari Nagri supplement of Sandesh

TRU organized a seminar on mental health awareness in the Baska village of Halol Taluka in collaboration with the gram panchayat. The seminar was attended by people suffering from mental illnesses and their relatives who could be caregivers. This seminar specifically addressed the taboos and unscientific beliefs surrounding mental illnesses, as a result patients end up getting ostracized in their communities. The meeting was also attended by the sarpanch Mahesbhai Nayak.
- Reported in Bhaskar News