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

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

Ms. Kanchan Choudhry Bhattacharya, IPS, Director General of Police – Uttaranchal was the chief guest on the launched function held on July 4, 2006 at Roorkee. Mr. A. P. Mamgain, Additional DG - Health Services & Head, State AIDS Control Board also graced the occasion. Dr. R. P. Puri, Chief Medical Officer, Haridwar district, gracing the occasion as a guest, extended full cooperation for the innovative programme in the state.

Mr. V K Jain, Director, Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd. [GACL] was among the officials from GACL present in the occasion. There were around 500 guests as well as villagers present in the occasion welcoming the programme.
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.
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.