Dhanvantari Arogya Raths covered 42,270 beneficiaries covering 2,627 sites/ camps

In times when people are scared to reach out to hospitals for fear of COVID, there are the OPD vans equipped with doctor, and pathological lab going door to door and street to street providing OPD on wheels to thousands. Labour dept has pressed into service 34 such well-equipped mobile vans which have treated over 40000 patients ever since the lock down started. Patients included migrant workers, slum dwellers, anybody in vicinity who needs it and even cops on duty at road check points.

“When lockdown started and all construction activity stopped, instead of stopping the medical vans which used to essentially visit construction sites, they were instead pressed into service of common man. Anyone who needed a doctor for any disease, lest those suffering from other diseases should continue to be attended to at their door steps if they could not move out “, said, Vipul Mittra, additional chief secretary of Labour and Employment department.

Each unit is equipped with a doctor, a nurse, and two other staff. These Raths are Geotagging facilities. The Raths overlook the arrangement of free medicine at the shelters, and spread the message of social distancing with the use of loudspeakers, added by Mittra.

“Between March 16 to April 6, the Dhanvantari Arogya Raths covered 42,270 beneficiaries covering 2,627 sites/ camps. These Raths have been planned to take visits 219 shelters daily, which have been set up in multiple districts by authorities to house migrant workers affected by the ongoing lockdown. All Vans have geo tagging facilities and routes are planned with the help of Satellite locations of Sites & Shelters/ camps. We are managing these Raths from whatsapp & video conferencing to maintain social distance. Our Board Chairman & ACS labour & Employment Vipul Mittra is managing & monitoring closely from control room.” as per BOCW Board officials.

Mittra said that he has directed officials of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board to visit construction workers’ camps at construction sites and government labour shelters to address any food related issues.

“Since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25, the Raths are being used to extend medical services to construction workers as well as other more than 8400 migrant workers housed in the 219 shelters and We are committed to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of workers and their family members in these trying times,” he added.