Arogya Ratham to take medical care to remote areas

​Amaravati: The state government launched two buses under the name of Arogya Ratham (health chariot) to provide health services to people in remote areas. The Arogya Ratham was formally launched by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and minister for power K Kala Venkata Rao on Monday at the Secretariat.  

The buses were provided by Andhra Pradesh Transmission Corporation Ltd (APTransco). They will have staff of health department to provide dispensary services as well as 200 varieties of medical tests like ECG, urine test, blood test. These buses will provide services in tribal areas in deep forests and agency areas in the state.

Swachh Andhra Corporation vice-chairman Dr C L Venkat Rao, AP State Doctors Cell president Dr Pawan explained the facilities made available in these buses to the Chief Minister. These buses will provide medical services in Sitampet and Eccherla agency areas. They roam in the tribal villages from 9 am to 5 pm.

An organisation named Bhavya Health Care will operate medical services on wheels. Each bus carries a doctor, a staff nurse, a pharmacist and a lab technician.

At first, patients will be identified in the tribal villages and then the bus route map will be planned. The information will be sent to the Anganwadi teacher, Asha worker and ANM there. Diseases like malaria, diabetes, blood pressure, cancer, TB, etc., will be diagnosed and the patients will be transferred to NTR Health Care Scheme. 

The state government initiated a series of preventive measures in the agency areas as the people living in these areas are suffering from communicable and preventable diseases. The Arogya Ratham is one of of such initiatives, and recently the government launched a Feeder Ambulance service to provide health services in agency areas.

Minister N Anand Babu, TDP MLC T D Janardan, senior officials Ajay Jain, Vijayanand, Dinesh Paruchuri, Umapati, H Y Dora and others participated in the programme.