OREANDA-NEWS. Rio Tinto highlighted its ongoing commitment to improving community health in India with a donation to fund a new ward in the Chhatarpur district hospital in Madhya Pradesh, home to Rio Tinto's developing Bunder project.

A contribution of Rs.30 lakh (USD 50,000) was handed over to the Honourable Collector, Mr Masood Akhtar, by the Bunder project's Director of external affairs, Col Kamal Kant, in the presence of the Honourable Minister for Healthcare in Madhya Pradesh, Dr Narottam Mishra.

“We are delighted to contribute to improving the health care facilities in the Chhatarpur district and we see it complementing our existing community health initiatives in the region.” said Col Kamal Kant.

The Rio Tinto contribution will fully fund the construction of a 215 square metre ward of the Chhatarpur district hospital, providing much needed hospital beds in this under resourced region of Madhya Pradesh.

Since establishing a presence in Madhya Pradesh in 2004 Rio Tinto has been interacting with the communities to provide better access to health care information and resources. Literacy rates are low and therefore health education and awareness requires innovative programmes and strong relationships with local community groups.

To date Rio Tinto's initiatives have involved providing free health clinics and mobile medical camps, together with mother and child nutrition programs in the local villages to address high rates of child malnutrition.

Rio Tinto is also continuing its efforts to eradicate communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis that pose a significant community health threat. Sponsoring innovative programs utilising song, street theatre and radio programmes have been implemented to assist in the education and awareness of these potentially fatal diseases.