Nadda flags off mobile medical unit in Assam

Guwahati: To improve health facilities in the tea garden areas, Union health minister J.P. Nadda here on Tuesday flagged off mobile medical units.

Informing about innovative measures taken to extend the health services to the garden workers, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that these Mobile Medical Units will work in 320 tea gardens.

Pointing out that these units will be operated under the PPP mode with the Assam government as the supervising and monitoring authority, Mr Sarma said each Mobile Medical Units consists of two vehicles — one is equipped with OPD and laboratory facilities, IEC materials and the other is used for transportation.

The OPD vehicles are also equipped with diagnostic and laboratory equipment.

A medical officer, an ANM, a pharmacist, a laboratory technician, an opthalmic technician, two drivers and a helper man each MMU.

One MMU is allotted against a cluster of four to five tea gardens. The project officer of the service provider coordinates with the National Health Mission and tea garden management to form a cluster and allotment.

Each MMU unit will visit a station in a tea garden for five days. In a week, 80 tea gardens will be covered. Total 320 tea gardens will be visited by the MMUs in a month.

If any patient requires referral for better treatment, the MMU team will coordinate with 108/102 for referral and necessary liasioning with the higher facility like FRU, DH and medical colleges.

Tea workers are largely deprived of basic healthcare and these areas have recorded highest maternal mortality in the country. There are over 800 tea gardens and majority of them have very poor health facilities.