The Punjab government’s latest venture has been to establish 50 mobile health units around the province to facilitate locals. These units have been equipped with the latest diagnostic facilities. “It is a great relief not to have to travel miles just to get a check up or our medicine like before,” said Muzaffargarh resident Kaleem, adding “The new units are well equipped to deal with all the basic problems.”
Each mobile health unit has been fully equipped with basic emergency treatment facilities, antibiotics and at least three qualified medical professionals. “The units are operating mostly as independent health centres,” said a medical official, Adil Shaheen, operating the mobile health unit in Rajanpur. “Initially the step was meant to be temporary and for providing flood relief but we realised that there is a great need for basic health care near villages and remote areas in the districts,” Shaheen said, adding “most hospitals are located miles away from the remote areas and emergency care is extremely hard to provide. The mobile units also allow us to offer maternity care.”
Residents from a village near Bahawalpur said that each mobile unit was equivalent to five basic health units and rural health centres. “We cannot begin to describe the relief of having these units so close to home. We used to spend hours waiting outside the rural centres and they were always understaffed and out of medicine,” said resident Aneela, adding “these new units are well equipped and the doctors are available all the time.”
The mobile health units have initially been established near the outskirts and rural areas of southern Punjab providing with immediate health care access to the people. “Many of these units have been provided with more facilities than some of the THQ hospitals,” said Punjab Health Secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad.
“The health units help with vaccination, diagnosis, maternity care and basic emergency services,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Fawad said that the decision to establish mobile health units showed the dedication of the Punjab government. “This step is proof that this government is committed to providing free and effective healthcare for the poor,” he said.
The health secretary said “We are hoping that the representatives monitoring these units will also help us gather information and gain an insight into what we need to do to improve the health care system.” “The doctors managing these units have a chance to study the most common ailments and see what needs to be done,” he said.
“I have been treating an average of 100-200 people a day. Even though it is exhausting, this is rewarding work,” said Dr Shaukat, adding “these people desperately needed free medical care and I am glad we have a chance to help them.”
Punjab Health Secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad said that the government was planning to introduce 200 more mobile health units all over the province within the year.
“We have made no compromises on the quality of equipment or staff for the new health units. If anything these units have helped us stay within our budget as many people have begun to avail their services and people are only going to the hospitals for more serious complaints,” he said. Residents of southern Punjab have welcomed the initiative by the Punjab government. Locals said that the mobile health units provided easy and immediate access to basic health care and they now only needed to go to the hospital for serious injuries that required surgery.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2011.
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