Two health centres built by the VHERDS (Voluntary, Health, Education, Rural Development Society), a voluntary agency sponsored by Kanchi Sankara Mutt at Damal and Thandalam villages of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts respectively were inaugurated by Ryuzo Kikuchi, Consul General of Japan at Chennai in separate ceremonies.

The Kanchi Mutt seer Sri Jayendra Saraswathi presided. The Consul General said the Japanese government had a policy of being part of community health care projects.

Their grant assistance scheme for grassroots projects was part of their Official Development Assistance (ODA) policy of Japan. Started at 1990 at Chennai this project had an initial outlay of US$ 1,683 and has now been enhanced to US$ 3,79,152 benefiting the southern states in 66 projects of education, environment, health care, immunisation, and rural development.

The present health centre, Japan Sankara Health Centre, is to provide health care including diagnostic and childcare and obstetric facilities for villages around the area benefiting a 25,000 population.