Mobile medical units reaching out to remote villages in Tiruchi district

Under the ‘Hospital on Wheels’ programme

Mobile Medical Units (MMU) provided to primary health centres under the Hospital on Wheels (HOWs) programme have come in handy whenever the Health department wants to monitor people sheltered at three relief camps after recent floods in the district.

The MMUs, which are equipped with necessary manpower, laboratory facilities and other diagnostic equipment to provide high quality medical care, particularly in high-risk areas like temporary settlements, will be kept ready for use in temporary relief camps should the need arise during the north-east monsoon, department sources said.

There is provision under the National Rural Health Mission to pool MMUs for such use, it is learnt.

The MMUs have acted as facilitators in fulfilling the objectives of providing maternal and child health care to rural and urban population and for the prevention and control of communicable diseases. Their utility is being optimised across the district through several primary health centres.

Find your MMU

The MMUs are attached to the PHCs at Top Sengattupatti (Uppiliapuram block), Inamkulathur (Manikandam), Thottiyam (Kattuputhur), Kulumani (Andanallur), Navalpattu (Tiruverumbur), Puduruthamanur (Lalgudi), Pullambadi (Pullambadi), Puthanatham (Manapparai), Sirugambur (Mannachanallur), Mettupalayam (Thathaiyengarpet), T.Puthur (Musiri), Vaiyampatti (Vaiyampatti), Valanadu (Marungapuri), and Veeramachanpatti (Thuraiyur).

Each mobile medical care unit functioning under the control of PHC patient welfare societies covers at least 25 to 30 remote villages every month. The unit’s schedule has a fixed day and time plan for each block in a camp mode. Information about the day and time of the mobile unit’s visit are displayed at the camp sites.