NEW DELHI, JULY 4
While COVID-19 healthcare services are being taken up on priority during the ongoing pandemic, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has come up with an innovative idea of mobile vans providing non-coronavirus essential healthcare services to the doorsteps of people in the city, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Many of the large hospitals in the city have been dedicated for COVID-19 treatment, hence various measures have been taken to ensure that non-COVID essential services related to diabetes, blood pressure, heart ailment, etc., are also provided to people who cannot visit hospitals as many are not operating OPDs, it said].
ધનવંતરી રથનો પ્રયોગ અમદાવાદમાં સફળ રહ્યો : મુખ્યમંત્રી શ્રી @Vijayrupanibjp જી pic.twitter.com/3zmTPShA70
— Amit Shah (मोदी का परिवार) (@AmitShah4BJP) July 4, 2020
“One of the interventions adopted by AMC is large-scale deployment of mobile medical vans named ”Dhanvantri Rath”. These vans have an Ayush doctor, paramedic and nursing staff along with a local medical officer from Urban Health Centre of AMC,” the ministry said in a statement.
These vans have been visiting various areas and providing OPD services for non-COVID essential services and field medical consultations to people all over Ahmedabad at their doorsteps.
The mobile medical vans carry all essential medicines, including ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines, vitamin supplements, basic testing equipment along with pulse oxymeter.
https://twitter.com/AmdavadAMC/status/1279333486965317633?s=20
In addition to healthcare services reaching the people who cannot access hospital OPD services for various reasons, Dhanvantri Rath has helped identify those who need further clinical treatment or an IPD admission, and ensured that they reach the hospital in a timely manner, the ministry said.
The AMC has deployed 120 Dhanvantri Raths across the city.
97 years old patient going home after being treated for Covid 19 at one of the AHNA member hospitals- Nidhi Hospitals. Kudos to the team at Nidhi Hospital
pic.twitter.com/UwN0XRCBZM
— Ahmedabad Hospitals & Nursing Homes Association (@ahnaahmedabad) July 4, 2020
The Dhanvantri vans have successfully conducted over 4.27 lakh OPDs consultations, so far. The intervention has helped to successfully treat over 20,143 patients with fever, over 74,048 with cough, cold, and coryza, over 462 patients with severe respiratory tract infections were referred to Urban Health Centre and hospitals for clinical treatment.
Besides 826 patients with hypertension, diabetes, and other co-morbidities were referred for clinical treatment at the nearby urban health centres, community health centres, and hospitals. Deployment of the Dhanvantri Raths has had a substantial impact on COVID-19 management also, as several hidden cases could be identified in time.
From June 15, the scope of health services of mobile medical vans has been extended to include malaria and dengue tests, in view of the fast-approaching monsoon season and the likelihood of an increase in the vector-borne diseases.
