Every month, a health camp in one of Nilambur Municipality’s 36 wards becomes something that is neither quite a clinic nor quite a party, but a little of both. A doctor checks blood sugar. A volunteer hands out diabetes testing strips and lancets. Someone else is midway through a laughter competition, while the runner-up in Passing the Parcel argues, cheerfully, that the music stopped too soon.
The camps are part of Vayomithram, an elderly welfare initiative being implemented by the Kerala Social Security Mission. The initiative provides health care and support to the elderly residing in corporation/municipal areas across the state. Since October 2023, Nilambur Lions Club, District 318D1, has worked with Nilambur Municipality to strengthen its monthly ward-level camps through medical supplies, refreshments, and recreational activities. This partnership has become one of the club’s most meaningful commitments.
The medical support is practical and consistent. Medicines, diabetes testing strips, lancets, and medicine pouches reach seniors who might otherwise struggle to access them. Since becoming involved, the club has distributed supplies worth nearly ₹1.10 lakh including a mercury BP apparatus.
The camps are part of Vayomithram, an elderly welfare initiative being implemented by the Kerala Social Security Mission. The initiative provides health care and support to the elderly residing in corporation/municipal areas across the state. Since October 2023, Nilambur Lions Club, District 318D1, has worked with Nilambur Municipality to strengthen its monthly ward-level camps through medical supplies, refreshments, and recreational activities. This partnership has become one of the club’s most meaningful commitments.
The medical support is practical and consistent. Medicines, diabetes testing strips, lancets, and medicine pouches reach seniors who might otherwise struggle to access them. Since becoming involved, the club has distributed supplies worth nearly ₹1.10 lakh including a mercury BP apparatus.
Through these monthly camps, the project has reached nearly 2,000 senior citizens.
Through these monthly camps, the project has reached nearly 2,000 senior citizens.
What sets the program apart is what happens alongside the check-ups. Each monthly session includes voluntary singing, balloon-blowing contests, Passing the Parcel and a laughter competition, with prizes for the top two finishers in each event. A door raffle brings the gathering to a close, while tea and snacks—pazhampori, vada and biscuits—are served to the seniors and medical team. The club even funded a portable speaker and microphone to support the group singing sessions.
The activities are not incidental. Isolation and loss of purpose can contribute to cognitive decline and depression among older adults. At these gatherings, regular social interaction forms part of the care provided.
Why Vayomithram Matters
Kerala’s population is ageing rapidly. According to the Government of India’s Population Projections for India and States 2011–2036, the number of people aged 60 and above in the state is projected to double from 4.2 million in 2011 to approximately 8.4 million by 2036. By then, they are expected to constitute 22.8% of Kerala’s population—nearly one in four residents.
The state has begun incorporating this demographic shift into public policy and planning. Vayomithram forms part of this response, taking healthcare and support directly to older residents through ward-level services.
On July 20, 2025, Club President Balakrishnan Nair and Vayomithram Program Coordinator Navasjan K. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing the ongoing partnership. The agreement covers elderly care programs, health and wellness initiatives, and community support services intended to improve quality of life and promote active aging among senior citizens.
Working through the municipality’s existing health infrastructure allows the club to add support where services are already being delivered. The monthly sessions also introduce seniors to other services, including the Lions Annual Eye Camp, which several participants have subsequently attended.
Nearly three years on, the format has changed little: a health check, refreshments shared around a table, and a game with a small prize at the end. What has grown is its reach. Today, seniors across the majority of Nilambur’s 36 wards arrive knowing that they are there for more than a blood pressure reading.