KOCHI: To render quality healthcare services to the marginalised sections of society, Ernakulam Karayogam, in association with Lakshmi Hospital and BPCL, launched a mobile medical clinic. Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog flagged off the Clinic on Wheels (CoW) at TDM Hall on Tuesday. The virtual function was attended by Arun K Singh, acting and designate chairman of BPCL, and Sanjay Khanna, executive director of BPCL-Kochi Refinery.
CoW, the state-of-the-art facility, has been conceived to offer medical consultations, conduct clinical tests and supply medicines to people who are living in the remote areas of Ernakulam district. “The objective of the project is to extend healthcare facilities free of cost to the needy at their doorstep,” says Alappat Muralidharan, president of Ernakulam Karayogam. Lakshmi Hospital has been roped in as the medical partner.
The van will be deployed in each area as per the instructions from the BPCL. Along with consultation space, the facilities in the van include a well-equipped lab with diagnostic facilities, medicine dispensation, areas to provide diagnostic care of blood, glucose, pregnancy testing, cancer detection and so on.
The van is also equipped to create awareness programmes for child health, geriatric and communicable diseases and to educate society on various lifestyle changes that impact their health.The van will also be deployed for Covid vaccination in rural and coastal areas. “District Collector Jafar Malik has promised to make necessary arrangements with the health department for the supply of enough vaccines,” said P Ramachandran, general secretary of the Karayogam. “For now, the services of CoW will be confined to Ernakulam. We plan to extend the facility to the neighbouring districts of Alappuzha and Thrissur,” he added.