Short 10 Lines on Dr Rani Bang
Rani Bang is a gold medalist in gynaecology with a Masters in Public health from the prestigious John Hopkins University in the US.
She joined her doctor husband in the service of the rural poor ,leaving a very lucrative career behind and also took to the Gandhian Lifestyle adopted by her husband.
The couple live and work in the dense forests of Gadchiroli district which is one of the most poor and impoverished and isolated pockets in SouthWestern Maharashtra which is considered dangerous because of naxalites.
As the medical facility was not available to the thousands of tribal people for many many years, the couple helped them and transformed their lives to a great extent.
She held various camps through which she trained the midwives and also educated the women about hygiene and nutrition which brought about a lot of change in the lives of people ,because back in the 1980’s infants death was a very commonly accepted reality. The couple would also take the help of local volunteers, train them and dispatch them to the remote areas.
They also founded SEARCH – Society for education, Action and research in Community health in Gadchiroli district which is mainly inhabited by the Gonds.
The couple developed a home based neonatal care model which is now adopted in India and also in many developing countries. and thus , Today the infant mortality rate in the area has dropped by 50 percent.
The community Healthcare model which the couple developed through relentless research is now the basis of national health policy and is widely replicated in many African countries.
She is also conducting scientific experiments on traditional tribal medicines. Rani Bang published research papers in prestigious journals like the Lancet. The couple have been honoured with many awards and have received International recognition.