Equipped with necessary equipment and medicines, this mobile hospital in Telangana will travel around the villages.
Published Jul 19, 2024 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 19, 2024 | 8:57 AM
Representative image of a container hospital
Monsoon has brought much-needed respite from the intense summer heat to Telangana, transforming the landscape into a lush and green paradise. Rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are replenished, supporting ecosystems and biodiversity.
However, for the people of Mulugu, a tribal district in Telangana, the monsoon also brings challenges. Overflowing rivers make crossing rivers difficult, and floods bring mosquitoes, snakes, and several diseases. Travelling to the nearest hospital which is 40-50 kilometres away becomes nearly impossible due to roads destroyed by the rains.
Particularly, for the residents of Pochapur in the Bandhala gram panchayat of Tadvai mandal, access to healthcare has been a significant challenge. To address this, district officials, along with the local MLA who is also a minister in the state government, have launched an initiative to bring medical care closer to the people.
Instead of patients having to walk long distances or cross dangerous rivers and canals, healthcare will now reach their homes. This innovative system has been introduced as a pilot project in the remote parts of Mulugu district, thanks to the efforts of local MLA and Telangana Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Seethakka, and Mulugu district collector Divakara TS, who have established a small hospital, which is called container hospital by locals.
This mobile unit will serve as an additional health sub-center for the villages of Narsapur, Aligudem, Bandhala, and Bolepalli around Pochapur in Bandhala Gram Panchayat of Tadvai Mandal, Mulugu district.
Container hospital in deep inside forest pochapur village, Tadvai Mandal area, they need to travel more for immediate medical treatment but now @CollectorMulugu & I have arranged a container hospital in their village, I appreciate all the efforts of everyone who involved in it. pic.twitter.com/IMaNSYDeAo
— Danasari Seethakka (@seethakkaMLA) July 15, 2024
“The primary goal of this initiative is to establish a container hospital, which is a sub centre extension counter, not a full hospital. The main objective is to serve five tribal villages that are cut off from the prime area during the rainy season for 3 to 4 months. Even though the medical department tries to visit once a week or as requested by the villagers, it is not sufficient to meet their needs,” said Mulugu District Medical and Health Official Dr. Allem Appaiah to South First.
He added that he brought this issue to the attention of the collector and the minister. “We all agreed that there should be a temporary construction of a sub centre extension counter. Building a permanent structure would take too much time, especially during the rainy season. That’s why we opted for a container that can be installed within a week,” explained Dr Appaiah.
Equipped with necessary equipment, and medicines, this mobile hospital will travel around the villages. Patients will be screened and treated as needed.
“Due to the rainy season, people from these 4-5 villages often had to wait an entire week for medical assistance. If they suffered from fever, headaches, hypertension, or other emergencies, they had to wait until a Tuesday to travel 32 kilometres to Pasara. Every Tuesday, villagers used to book a vehicle to travel to the nearest town of Pasara. On that day, they would also buy groceries and fertilisers, hiding their symptoms and suffering in the meantime. To prevent this long wait, we’ve established the container hospital. It will be available for six months, operating continuously to provide timely medical care,” explained Dr Appaiah.
If a patient’s condition worsens, they will be transported from the container hospital to the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC) or Community Health Centre (CHC) just like an ambulance would.
“We’ve appointed a local Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), a local health assistant, and a contingent worker/security personnel to manage the sub-centre. While doctors won’t be permanently stationed there, they will visit once or twice a week, and I will also visit periodically. For any serious cases, patients can be referred to the Kodishala PHC, where doctors will handle further treatment,” explained the district health official.
While inaugurating this container hospital, Minister Seethakka and District Collector Divakara stated that this service was initiated to provide immediate medical treatment. They highlighted that many people fall ill during the monsoon season but do not receive timely medical care, sometimes leading to dire situations.
“Many lives have been lost due to the lack of timely medical care, and even health staff face significant challenges in reaching villages located in dense forest regions and remote areas,” said the DMHO.
The container hospital includes four beds, partitioned for privacy, and was built at a cost of ₹7 lakh. It also features a small lab, allowing for the treatment of seasonal diseases and snakebites, as well as providing delivery facilities for pregnant women.
Minister Seethakka mentioned that if this pilot project is successful, similar facilities will be introduced in other districts across the state.
The container hospital, designed in Hyderabad, has separate rooms for nurses and health officials.
(Edited by Neena)
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