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Mobile Health Care in Uttaranchal Slums


Mobile Health Care in Uttaranchal Slums

Ms. Kanchan Choudhry Bhattacharya, DGP–Uttaranchal, arriving for the launch ceremony

Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF), one of the partners under Smile on Wheels programme in Uttaranchal. ACF and Smile Foundation are reaching out to needy villages in Haridwar district through this programme.

The Health Department of the Government of Uttaranchal has also been appreciative of the unique programme for the state. It has extended full cooperation and has expressed participation to make it a success.

SMILE FOUNDATION had launched 'SMILE ON WHEELS', its national level multi-centric mobile hospital programme named in New Delhi on June 19, 2006. Ms. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Govt. of NCT of Delhi inaugurated the programme and handed over the keys to various partner organizations of Smile Foundation. She also flagged off the mobile vans at Delhi Secretariat.

Five vans were flagged off in the first phase of Smile-on-Wheels with projected health coverage for 7.5 lakhs people in 249 identified villages across five Indian states. Five partner NGOs received the vans, who come from as many states such as Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and Maharasthra.

The five NGO's are Sevadham Trust (Pune, Maharashtra), Berojgar Mahila Sewa Samiti (Bhilai, Chhattisgarh), Orissa Institute of Medical Research and Health Services (Cuttack, Orissa), Ambuja Cement Foundation (Roorkee, Uttaranchal), and Suraj Hospital (Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh). These NGO's will access deserving villages where no governmental health services exist. The van will cover the vicinity of 20-50 kms from its center and will visit 2-3 villages a day on a regular basis.

Partnership with Ambuja Cement Limited and Annual Report (2006-07)

Ambuja Cement Foundation is a partner of Smile Foundation under ‘Smile on Wheels’ programme. The initiative provides basic health services at the doorstep of needy people in the rural belt of Roorkee and Haridwar in Uttarakhand state. The beneficiaries include the population who either do not have access to health care services or are too poor to afford it.

Excerpt from Ambuja Cement Limited Annual Report (2006-07), Section ‘Health’, Page No. 114 :

“To provide access to basic health services, we have started a mobile health dispensary. Smile Foundation, New Delhi, has provided a fully equipped mobile health van. ACF signed an MOU with Smile Foundation and the van was flagged off at New Delhi by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi. The van was launched at Roorkee by the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand. Our mobile health van covers eight villages; during the year, 9,026 patients from these villages were treated”.

Smile Foundation launched the programme as part of its endeavour to introduce healthcare awareness and contemporary health care services seeking behavior among the rural masses and the underprivileged.

Under this programme, Smile's aim is to run a fleet of 30 fully equipped mobile medical vans in collaboration with NGO's and local administration in the next two years, reaching out to over 35-40 lakh beneficiaries.

The services provided are OPD, Ante-natal/post-natal services, identification of difficult pregnancy and referral for institutional care, Immunization- Mother & children, Minor surgery, BP examination, X-ray, ECG, First Aid, Distribution of Iron Folic tablets, Vit-A Prophylaxis, Treatment of mal-nutrient cases, etc.

Project Update

Ambuja_Cement_Smile_FoundationSmile On Wheels, Roorkee run by  Ambuja Cement Foundation covers  ten villages; covering more than 32000population  .from July, 2006 to August 2007, 15271 patients from these villages were treated.

Under  two different Rural Mobile health camps 4166 patients were treated . One of these camps were done in collaboration with NABARD
  
Medical check –up of students  were done in primary schools where  835 students were checked and provided with medicines

Eye camps and gynaecological camp were organized in village Sikanderpur and Sirchandi.  Where 159 patients  of Sikanderpur and 95 Sirchandi were given treatment

ACM also supported the health Department/WHO in successful organization of the pulse polio campaign in the high risk villages with SOW . As the result, 25760 children were provided with polio vaccines. Special polio drive was undertaken for the brick kiln workers in the Landhora area; 85 brick kiln were covered.

Till today ACMS foundation has utilized Smile On Wheels facilities to conduct -182  camps  and gave health services to  44877 Patient  of the outreach villages they constantly serve