Essar Foundation’s mobile medical services complete three years of dedicated service to the community of CBM Raniganj block. Started in June 2010, more than 81,000 people have benefitted by the initiatives.
Health is the most important focus area and mobile medical service has been the flagship program of the CSR initiatives here. Women, children and elderly persons benefit the most out of these services owing to their low mobility and access to quality healthcare and services. Financial burden of health expenditure on the poor families was also substantially reduced due to the initiatives. Prior to the mobile services, people not only spent a lot of time and money in commuting long distances, they also had to manage with low quality services.
The objective of the initiative was to providepreventive and curative healthcare services with OPD services across the target villages. The services have gradually seen considerable development in phases (see table). Apart from OPD camps, services have been extended to schools by conducting specialized health check-up camps for school children. Altogether 30 schools have been covered under such camps in which 2,100 students have benefitted.
Phase-wise extension of mobile medical services over three years
|
Phase |
Period |
Villages added |
Total villages |
Beneficiaries |
|
Phase - I |
June 2010- June 2011 |
8 |
08 |
25607 |
|
Phase - II |
July 2011- January 2012 |
4 |
12 |
19924 |
|
Phase - III |
February 2012-May 2013 |
5 |
17 |
30851 |
|
Phase - IV |
June 2013 till date |
6 |
23 |
4655 |
|
Total |
81037 |
|||
All mobile medical camps are conducted at common and accessible spots in villages, like community centers, youth clubs, Panchayat buildings etc. Local volunteers from respective villages coordinate to conduct the camps effectively. A feedback register is placed at the mobile medical van to gauge the efficiency and effectiveness of the services. Case studies have been regularly documented to disseminate the impact of these services.
Mobile medical services are being carried out with a van and a team of three that includes a doctor and two nurses from the partnering Vivekananda hospital. The services are currently being provided on a fortnightly basis. The doorstep medical services reach 23 villages in Pratapur, Bidbehar, Molandigi and Gopalpur Gram Panchayats of two administrative blocks in Durgapur- Faridpur and Kanksa.
