Union Minister dispatches ‘Aarogya doctor on wheels’ ambulance at Udhampur in JK, ET HealthWorld

Jammu: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday launched an ambulance ‘Aarogya doctors on wheels’ to provide doorstep medical services in remote areas of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative aims to provide healthcare services to people in remote villages free of cost, Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, said.

Attending an exhibition on the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in his home constituency of Udhampur, the minister explained how the mobile ambulance works and said the entire process, from examining a patient to issuing a prescription, takes about 45 minutes, which in the normal course of events could take days if the patient had to be physically examined at a hospital.

“The patient can now talk about his medical problem in his native language, and the ‘Doctor on Wheels’ answers him in the same language,” he added.

Describing the innovative initiative as a healthcare start-up that needs to be promoted on a massive scale, he called for greater CSR involvement to further develop and sustain this experiment so that as many people as possible can benefit from it.

The minister also organised a public durbar in Chennai and interacted with women self-help groups (SHGs) and start-ups.

“The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) programme not only supports women SHGs in enhancing their livelihood but also promotes self-employment opportunities for local youth,” he said.

The minister said that women from self-help groups involved in this mission have themselves become “atmanirbhar” and are providing employment opportunities to other women and youth.

“Lakhpati Didis-SHG Didis who earn stable incomes and become role models in the society will transform the rural economy,” he said.

Singh said DAY-NRLM, the government’s flagship programme, is the world’s largest initiative aimed at improving the lives of the poor.

Talking about the infrastructure development in Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha constituency, he said that PMGSY roads and expressways are being constructed at a fast pace with the aim to improve connectivity in remote areas and reduce travel time.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is focused on consolidating the achievements of the last 10 years to transform the rural landscape,” he said.

During a public durbar, Singh directed district level officers to quickly address the problems and demands of the people.

He said the government was committed to addressing the concerns of the people and that was why he had been meeting with citizens at public meetings over the past few weeks to ensure that their concerns were addressed and resolved as soon as possible.