Matru Sewa Sangh
Matru Sewa Sangh is an Indian non-profit organisation founded in 1921, by Kamalatai Hospet and Venutai Nene in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It runs a network of sites dedicated to providing health services to the poor, including a maternity hospital, school for the intellectually disabled, home for the aged, child adoption services, working women's hostel and family counseling center. It also runs the Institute of Social Work, affiliated with Nagpur University, which provides adult education and development programmes. Matru Sewa Sangh was founded by Kamalatai Hospet and Venutai Nene.
Matru Sewa Sangh has gradually expanded its activities beyond maternal health, establishing centres across central India that focus on community welfare, social rehabilitation and accessible healthcare. Over the decades, the organisation introduced specialised services such as neonatal care, disability support, geriatric care and women’s shelter facilities, reflecting its broader mandate of social development. Its programmes are designed to serve economically disadvantaged groups, with an emphasis on preventive healthcare, education, and training in social work.
Recognition
The leaders of Indian society, such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, among others, recognised Matru Sewa Sangh's work over the course of its existence.Awards to the organisation and its staff include:
- 1961 Padma Shri, Government of India: Kamalatai Hospet
- 1961 Nalava Best Nurse Award, Red Cross Society: Krishnatai Bhave
- 1980 Jamnalal Bajaj Award, Bajaj Foundation: Kamalatai Hospet
- 1994 Platinum Jubilee Endowment Trust Award, Indian Merchants' Chamber, Bombay: Matru Sewa Sangh, Nagpur
- 1996 Sir Arthur Eyre Brook International Award, World Orthopaedic Concern, Amsterdam: Dr Vikram Marwah