Stalin flags off 133 vehicles for mobile med teams

CHENNAI: A total of 389 vehicles will be launched this year at the cost of Rs 70 crore by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation.

About 100 ambulances were already operational by 2007 for the people in the rural areas, and mobile medical teams were set up for their regular check ups and treatment. In addition, 285 mobile ambulances were purchased in 2008. A total of 385 mobile vehicles are already being operated in TN.

With a special focus on better maternal health, treatment for tuberculosis, and treatment for infectious diseases in each panchayat union and village, the purpose of the mobile hospital project is to provide medical care to people who cannot travel long distances to hospitals. As part of the scheme, 40 medical camps are being conducted per month in rural areas, with emphasis on areas with people living in temporary accommodations.

The medical teams will also provide them with one-month supply of medicines for people with diabetes and high blood pressure and tuberculosis. The National Welfare Board has allocated Rs 70.02 crore for the 389 mobile ambulances in Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 18 lakh per vehicle.

The medical teams comprise a medical officer, a nurse, a driver along with a cleaner. The vehicles will be used for medical camps to provide necessary facilities to the people living in remote villages. The teams are also being upgraded to mobile hospitals by deploying laboratory technicians and providing quality medical services to the rural poor with lab facilities.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated a 10-bed Dialysis Centre at Periyar Nagar Government Hospital in Kolathur which will be built at a cost of Rs 75 lakh. The blood purification centre can treat up to 750 people a month. A one-time dialysis costs about Rs 600 per person and the entire amount will be made free under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Insurance Scheme at the hospital.