Ganjam launches hospital-on-wheels facility for non-COVID patients

Ganjam district administration on Tuesday launched the Hospital on Wheels campaign to provide health care facilities to non-COVID-19 patients at their door step.

A health team, consisting of at least a doctor, pharmacist and other health staff will be present in the mobile health units to effectively provide treatment to people right at their door step, said district collector Vijay Amruta Kulange, after flagging off five such units at Chhatrapur, the district headquarter town.

The vehicles provided by the Tata Steel SEZ, Gopalpur, have been equipped with all basic medical facilities, including oxygen supply. While two such units would be functional in Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) area, the three other vehicles are to be provided to three sub divisions-Berhampur, Bhanjanagar and Chhatrapur, he said.

The doctors in the mobile health units will treat all patients. “If any patient shows symptoms of the coronavirus infection, the doctors will advise the patient to have a COVID test.

The patient would be shifted to the COVID Care Center or COVID Hospital, if he or she tested positive for COVID-19 and depending on the condition,” the collector said.

Doctors would provide treatment to the patients who suffer from non-COVID disease like at the fever clinics, opened at the Urban Primary Health Centers (UPHC) of the BeMC, he said.

While the OPDs of major government run hospitals, including MKCG Medical College and Hospital here, were closed by the district administration to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Hospital on Wheels will provide relief to non-COVID patients, health activists described.

“It’s a good initiative taken by the district administration to provide health care facilities to the non-COVID patients in rural areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation,” said Suresh Chandra Sahu, a health activist.

He said that while the residents of Berhampur throng to the fever clinics for their treatment, the rural people have been deprived of such facilities.

The fever clinics are functioning in all eight UPHCs in the city.

Meanwhile different organizations in the district have demanded the opening of the OPD of the MKCG Medical College and Hospital, the referral hospital of the southern Odisha to provide treatment.  – LocalWire