Jaan Veer, 73 years old man, lives in NOIDA Sector 8. He is a rickshaw puller and his wife works in a garment factory. Together they earn barely 4000/- a month. Most people in this area suffer from stomach infection, malaria, skin infections and frequent fevers. Jaan Veer had first visited Smile on Wheels complaining of high fever, severe chest pain and chronic cough. The doctor had diagnosed a viral infection in him that had aggravated to a very high level. He was immediately put on antibiotics and other appropriate medication by the doctor of the Smile on Wheels team. He visited the doctor only twice and agreed to be feeling much better compared to his previous condition. Jaan Veer greatly appreciates this mobile hospital initiative, visits it regularly for health check ups and feels this is a very good facility for people like him who neither have the time nor the resources for correct and timely medical support.

Manju, 8 years old, lives in Gulbai Tekra Vasahat, Ahmedabad. Only 5000 people live in this area, mostly comprising the Gadaria community, known widely for making idols of gods and goddesses. The people here suffer from respiratory tract infection, malaria, skin infection and stomach infection. Manju has two more siblings and her parents earn livelihood for the family with daily wages. She is the eldest of the siblings and helps her parents in their work and goes to school when she can. To add to the problems, the father is an alcoholic. When Manju’s mother first brought her to the mobile hospital she was suffering from severe weakness and fatigue. She had knots in her joints and could not even walk properly. She was also losing weight very fast. When the doctor first examined her, he put her through some pathological tests in the Smile on Wheels, and found out that she was suffering an advanced stage of Tuberculosis. The doctor asked Manju’s mother to bring her to a TB clinic where her treatment would be done free of any cost. Her treatment was done under the supervision of the SOW team. It took 4 months for this little girl to recover from her almost fatal condition. She is now getting back to normal conditions very fast and her family is very happy with the prompt treatment given to her at the Smile on Wheels.

Launch of 1st Mobile Hospital
for Rajasthan

Smile Foundation expanded its Smile of Wheels network to Rajasthan by launching the state’s 1st mobile hospital unit in Jaipur. This mobile hospital was flagged off by Mr. B.N. Sharma – Principal Secretary of Health, Govt. of Rajasthan. This is the 10th mobile hospital in the Smile on Wheels programme. With this new unit the programme will be covering a population of 8,98,667 in 126 slums and villages across India. This project will operate in Jaipur in association with Shikshit Rojgar Kendra Prabandhak Samiti (SRKPS). It will be implemented in 22 slum areas of Jaipur district. The mobile hospital unit will visit 6 locations – Kalakar, Bhatta, Jagatpura, Jhalana, Bagrana and Idgah, twice every week. The unit will be covering 22,400 households and a total population of over 1,12,000 in these 6 locations. For the remaining 16 slum areas, a special health camp will be organised every Sunday.

Special Conjunctivitis Camp in Nagpur

Aspecial eye conjunctivitis camp was organized by Smile on Wheels at Salaidhabad, Nagpur for the underprivileged. Considering the spreading occurrence of the infection, this camp was strategically planned, to make available to the people diagnosis and medicines. There were doctors, coordinators, paramedical staff and medical officers in this camp. 305 people were examined and 73 among them were found suffering the infection. Along with free check up and medicines, free services like ECG, X-Ray, blood test and sugar test were also provided.

Health Camp with
US Ambassador

Ahealth camp was organized at Sanjay Gandhi JJ cluster at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. This was organized in support of US Aid and the Population Foundation of India and was attended by over 350 people from the slums in the vicinity. The US Ambassador to India, H.E. Timothy J. Romer, was present for the occasion along with his wife. He also assured that constant support from the US Aid team will be given to Smile Foundation for the organization of more such camps. As a gesture of his appreciation for this initiative of Smile, His Excellency, also participated in the camp and availed the health care services provided there. Two mobile hospitals of Smile on Wheels facilitated three doctors, two coordinators, one gynaecologist and one paramedical staff for the camp. Among the numerous services provided, some of the mostly availed ones were medicines, ECG facility, X-Ray facility, blood tests and sugar level tests. The health camp was also supported by the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Govt. of National Capital Territory of Delhi.