A multi-party partnership between Rotary clubs across two continents, a leading Coimbatore hospital, and more than 150 donors — brought to life through five years of persistence, including a pandemic that delayed the vehicle's launch by a full year.
Breast cancer and cervical cancer are the two most common cancers among women. Both are simple and cost-effective to treat when caught early — a mammogram can detect breast cancer, a pap smear can detect cervical cancer. But underprivileged women, especially in rural areas, rarely have access to periodic screening, so disease often isn't found until it's advanced. Even where symptoms are noticed, substantial social stigma keeps many women from seeking treatment.
Our solutionProject HEAL Trust operates a custom mobile screening unit that brings advanced diagnostic equipment directly to underserved communities across a 30,000 sq km region of Tamil Nadu. The vehicle carries a digital mammography device and pap smear testing equipment, staffed by qualified personnel from our medical partner, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) — a major multi-specialty hospital in Coimbatore, which also provides free surgery for women who test positive for suspicious lesions.
High Awareness
Early Detection
Affordable Treatment
Low Mortality
A 9-member Board of Trustees: 5 represent the broader community, 1 represents KMCH, 3 represent Rotary Mettupalayam. Six of the nine Trustees are medical professionals.
Registered under the Indian Public Trust Act, 1882 (Reg. No. 133/BK4/2019). 12A/12AA and 80G tax-exempt. Registered on the NITI Aayog DARPAN portal.
Project HEAL was announced in July 2019 by the Rotary Club of Mettupalayam, which has served the community since 1961. What followed was a multi-year build effort, complicated significantly by COVID-19.
A fundraising play by noted playwright “Crazy” Mohan kicked off public fundraising. An MOU was signed with medical partner KMCH, and the Rotary Club of Juarez Campestre (Mexico) joined as international partner. A Rs 24,00,000 CSR donation arrived from M/s Encee Aromatics (P) Limited.
Project HEAL Trust formally registered at the Sub-Registrar's Office, Mettupalayam.
Vehicle chassis purchased and handed to the fabrication vendor; mammography equipment ordered from Germany. COVID-19 lockdowns repeatedly delayed interior fabrication through the year.
Formal launch event held to coincide with World Cancer Day, 4 February 2021.
Our first camp: 16 mammograms and 31 pap smears, in Mettupalayam.
Medical Partner — provides qualified staff, diagnostics, and free surgery for beneficiaries.
Founding organizer, serving the community since 1961.
International Rotary partner on the Global Grant.
Funded the project via Global Grant GG2094977 (~US$260,000).
District Designated Funds and organizational support.
Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development — regional partner since FY2023–24.
Reach our leadership and regional coordinators directly.