NGO plans to install blood count measurement machine to help farmers protesting at Singhu
The machine generates results with an hour and that is why the farmers can be given treatment faster.
Published: 14th January 2021 08:40 PM | Last Updated: 14th January 2021 08:40 PM | A+A A-
Farmers protest against the new farm laws at Singhu border in New Delhi Sunday Dec 13 2020. (Photo | PTI)
NEW DELHI: Volunteers of an NGO running a medical camp at Delhi's Singhu border plan to install a machine for blood count measurements to help farmers protesting the Centre's three farm laws.
Sadiq Mohammad, a pharmacist and a volunteer of the NGO - Life Care Foundation - said there are a number of farmers at the border point having many underlying health conditions and the fast results generated by the Hematology analyzer could help guide the treatment of the farmers quicker.
The machine generates results with an hour and that is why the farmers can be given treatment faster, he said.
He said the complete blood count (CBC) test helps to ascertain the blood cell, the platelet count and hemoglobin in the blood.
"This test can help us to start treatment related to skin, asthmatic, etc. The result of CBC test comes within an hour. If the result comes on time, then we can start the treatment after the result. This will be free of cost and nothing will be charged from the patients. The machine will be installed in couple of days," Sadiq said.
The NGO had set up a medical camp at the Singhu border on November 30 last year.
Sadiq said the number of patients with hypertension, diabetes and skin issues have also increased.
"We are also giving the facility of physiotherapy for the last two days. The timing is from 10 am to 6 pm. We have two portable ECG machines and our volunteers go up to two kilometres to conduct the test," Sadiq said.
A lot of protesting farmers are coming to get their blood pressure and sugar levels checked.
The camp also has a hospital with eight beds, he said.
"We first installed waterproof tents. The temporary hospital in the medical camp was set up on January 6. We have eight beds as of now. We have attended around 50 patients with minor emergency."
"The hospital works 24/7. Three doctors take the eight hour shift. Volunteer doctors also come here to do 'sewa' (service). We also have para-medical staff. We have two oxygen cylinders here with us," he said.
Sadiq said earlier they lost around six boxes of the medicines, but now due to the waterproof tents, the medicines and staff are safe.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are staying put at various border points of Delhi since late November last year to protest against recent farm laws of the Centre.
