MOBILE HEALTH UNIT

An effort by Vedanta to bring the primary health care to the people’s doorstep

Primary Health Care at Lanjigarh previously was not like as it is now before the advent of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd there. The entire scenario witnessed a revolutionary change with the earnest effort of the Company.

This is what is clearly evident from the true version of Tudu Majhi of Khematipadar village who narrates about the medical facilities available in his village 1 year before and compares the same with the situation now. “Previously we used to visit the local ojhas and the quacks in case of illness because of our inability to purchase the medicines. Even we did not have faith in the medicines provided by the Government run Lanjigarh Primary Health Care Centre (PHC). Moreover, the bad condition of roads and lack of conveyance facilities made us inaccessible most of the time. Only in case of severe illnesses or when the quack could not heal any patient, such cases were taken to Lanjigarh hospital. If the patient’s condition became critical, then the patient had no other option but to die.” narrates Tudu.

He also added by saying that the situation started improving tremendously with the coming of Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) in the area. Immediately after acquiring land, VAL started its community development programmes in the peripheral villages. Providing Primary Health Care to the people was at the top of the agenda considering the plight of the villagers. As the first step VAL started sending Mobile Health Unit (MHU) to all the peripheral villages with the objective of making health facilities available in remotest corners. One doctor accompanied by two pharmacists started moving from one village to another to treat the people and give free medicines to the needy ones. The villagers have stopped going to the ojhas any more. The MHU goes once in a week to each village and the needy people get the medicines at their doorstep.

Besides providing MHU to the peripheral villages of Lanjigarh VAL has also organized several health camps at the Government Hospital Lanjigarh "I am extremely happy that VAL, Lanjigarh is organizing so many health camps in the field and also inside Govt. Hospital, Lanjigarh such as Anti Natal Check up, Malaria Awareness camp, Infectious disease checks up camp. VAL has been coordinating with Government for various health programmes like pulse polio, Family Planning Operation Camp etc says Mr. Tunna Panigrahi the Pharmacist-Govt. Hospital, Lanjigarh.

Regular awareness camps are also organized through MHU team to make people aware on Government run health programmes and small family norms. All this has resulted in increased number of patients being treated by MHU and reduction in the number of fatalities. Malaria & Tuberculosis used to be the deadly disease earlier but now people have realized that these diseases are curable. There has been substantial reduction in the number of malarial cases and other diseases like scabies, viral fever etc. The medical staffs at Lanjigarh PHC are providing service on a regular basis have improved a lot. The villagers are oblieged to Vedanta for providing all the necessary medical facilities to them.