Patients and their attendants can now commute easily between various State-run hospitals in the city. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) launched an inter-hospital shuttle service called ‘Arogya Seva' on Thursday, which will be of immense help to patients who are referred from one government hospital to another.
How it works
This service with two buses, flagged off by Transport Minister R. Ashok and Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar from the premises of NIMHANS, will ply from Jayadeva Hospital to Victoria Hospital making 24 trips every day.
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The buses will stop at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, NIMHANS, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, and Sanjay Gandhi Accident Hospital and Research Institute.
Thirty-two-year old Shakeena Rhabnashree from Andhra Pradesh, who had come to NIMHANS to get treatment for her seizures, said she was happy that such a service has been launched. “As I am not from the city, this service will be of great help to me if I am referred to another government hospital,” she told
T.L. Lokesh, who regularly takes his six-year-old daughter to NIMHANS for treatment of epilepsy, said he would not have to shell out on autorickshaws now. “This service will be of great help to us,” he said.
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His proposal
NIMHANS Director P. Satishchandra had suggested that such a service be launched for the benefit of patients. He had made a proposal to the BMTC on the occasion of World Mental Health Day.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashok said the shuttle service would link various State-run hospitals and would allow patients to commute easily at affordable costs.
BMTC Managing Director K.R. Srinivasa was present.