Residents eagerly await resumption of mobile medical service in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur

In mountainous Himachal Pradesh, the Asptal initiative in primary healthcare offers excellent last mile coverage

Fifty-five-year old Sushil Sharma at Badhera village in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district has been eagerly waiting for the next visit of the

asptal (hospital), a mobile medical van, to his tiny village.

“Medical consultation by a doctor and the facility of several medical tests from a vehicle right at my doorstep, and that too free of cost, is of great help. Earlier, if anyone from the family had to undergo a medical check-up or tests, we had to travel about 5 km to the nearest town, Kangoo. It’s never easy travelling in hills, especially during the winters and the rainy season,” said Mr. Sharma, a farmer.

Paryas Society, an NGO, started the ‘Asptal – Sansad Mobile Swasthya Seva’ (mobile medical service through a vehicle) initiative to provide free primary healthcare in the remotest locations of the Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency.

“The van visits our village or a nearby village once in 40 days or so. My wife, who is diabetic, got her medical tests for ‘sugar’ done when the van had last come to our village. Owing to lockdown restrictions, the service has come to a standstill. Everyone here wants it to resume as soon as possible,” added Mr. Sharma.

‘Save time, money’

Neelam Devi (31) of Yoh village in Sarkaghat, who got herself medically examined a few months ago, said, “Before, I had to shell out ₹200-250 to check uric acid, sugar, glucose tolerance etc., at a private lab in the town of Sarkaghat. But now, with the mobile van service, I save money and time.”

“With the COVID outbreak, there’s fear among people due to which many have stopped going to hospitals. In such a situation, I think it’s all the more important that the mobile van should regularly visit the village to extend medical services,” she said. She, too, wanted the service to resume as soon as possible.

In Jahu Khurd village, 60-year-old housewife Anita Devi agreed: “During the monsoon season, it rains heavily here, and at times it’s incessant. In such a situation, going to a private lab or even a government healthcare centre, which are about 3 km from my house, is quite a task. Elders and children in the family have to suffer the most.”

Vandana Kumari, also from Jahu Khurd, said, “In March this year, I availed the service of a mobile van for the first time. I was examined by a doctor and got medicines and a few tests done, all free of cost. Earlier, I use to walk 8 km up and down to get tests and check-ups done at a private facility in the town of Jahu.”

Counsel patients

Dr. Vikas Singh, who coordinates the movement of medical units for the NGO, said that one of the focus area of the service was listen to patients, especially senior citizens. “At times, patients do not get the required attention of a physician in hospitals due to heavy rush. At mobile van camps, apart from conducting tests etc, our team members counsel people to instil a sense of security about health,” he said.

Avnish Parmar, treasurer at Paryas Society, said the Asptal service offers around 40 medical tests, includng for creatinine, uric acid, sugar, glucose, hepatitis-B and hepatitis-C. Medicines are provided free of cost when patients are not able to afford them.

“The brainchild of local MP and Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, the service was started with three mobile units, now increased to 17 and covering all 17 Assembly constituencies. Within a span of two years, over 2,00,000 beneficiaries have benefited from the service. Each mobile medical unit is equipped with an experienced team, including a doctor, a nurse, a lab technician and a driver,” said Mr. Parmar.

COVID-19 assistance

Since lockdown restrictions led to the service being stopped, Asptal has been assisting government functionaries. “Over the past two months, our teams have been deployed at inter-State borders for the initial screening of each individual entering the State. We have screened over 62,000 people to determine symptomatic vis-a-vis asymptomatic people in order to decide on the further course of action,” he added.

Bilaspur district Chief Medical Officer Dr. Prakash Daroch said the Asptal model ensures the best last mile primary healthcare for remote locations.