The Karnataka government on Wednesday rolled out 16 mobile health clinics to provide medical services at the doorsteps of tribal persons dwelling in forest areas across the southern state, official sources said.
"These 16 mobile clinics cost Rs 50 lakh each and will cater to forest-dwelling persons from Jenu Kurubas, Koragas and other tribes," an official statement said.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge launched the mobile clinics at the Secretariat in Bengaluru.
Each mobile clinic will have doctors, nurses, pharmacist, laboratory technician, and junior health assistant.
"Each mobile clinic vehicle will daily visit two villages each in morning and afternoon hours. Apart from examination of patients and providing them medicines, the team will spread awareness on healthcare issues," said Kharge.
Patients requiring specialised treatment will be shifted to the nearest hospitals, the Minister said.
"The clinics will also be equipped with GPS and digital patient record system, and enable expansion of public health network in the state," added Kharge.
In the first phase, eight mobile clinic teams will visit Somawarpet, Virajpet and Madikeri taluks (sub-districts) of Kodagu district, Periyapatna, HD Kote and Hunsur taluks of Mysuru district, and Kollegal, Yellandur and Gundlupet taluks of Chamarajanagar district.
In the second phase, eight more teams will take care of Bantwal and Puttur taluks of Dakshina Kannada district, Kundapur and Udupi taluks of Udupi district, Shikaripura taluk of Shivamogga district, and Haliyal taluk of Uttara Kannada district.
As per the 2016 Rural Health Statistics report, the state has a tribal population of around 34,29,791 but the average doctor-patient ratio in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) is a paltry 1:90,000.
With IANS inputs