DLF Foundation and HLFPPT launch new ‘Aarogyam’ Mobile Medical Unit in Noida

NOIDA:
Strengthening an initiative to bring healthcare delivery on the doorstep of people, DLF Foundation and Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) today rolled out a brand new Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) to provide a range of preventive, curative and diagnostic services to the poor and underserved communities in NOIDA, a sprawling district in Uttar Pradesh neighbouring the national capital.
Known as ‘Aarogyam’, the MMU — a mini hospital on the move — will provide its services to slum clusters in Noida’s Sectors 16, 17 and 18, besides in Harola, Chalera and Bhangel villages. The health van, which was introduced in the area in November 2015, has so far served more than 20,000 poor people.
The MMU project of DLF Foundation, the CSR arm of real estate major DLF Ltd, is being implemented in partnership with HLFPPT, which has been promoted by HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL), a ‘Mini Ratna’ Central PSU.
Noida District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh, who flagged off the MMU at his office, welcomed the initiative, saying it was a “good Corporate Social Responsibility endeavour” by DLF Foundation .
“It will go a long way in meeting the primary healthcare needs and improving health status of the deprived and marginalized people in some areas of Noida. Efforts must be made to provide target-based healthcare services in underserved areas. We also need to monitor the functioning of such an initiative to sustain its effectiveness,” he added.
Present on the occasion were Chief Medical Officer (CMO)Dr. Anurag Bhargav, Additional CMO Dr. V. K. Dhaka, DLF Ltd Executive Vice President Rajeev Singh, HLFPPT National Manager (CSR) Ashwani K Sinha, other senior officials of HLFPPT and DLF, besides local members of the nearby communities.
“The launch of an enhanced MMU in the area signifies its growing acceptance by the deprived and poor communities,” said HLFPPT CEO Sharad Agarwal. “It will be among the 155 MMUs HLFPPT is operating throughout the country. We recently launched 80 MMUs for the benefit of tea garden workers in Assam.”
The MMU, manned by a doctor, a nurse and a lab technician along with outreach workers, provides an array of curative facilities and maternal and child health services. These include treatment for minor ailments like fever, diarrhoea, worm infestation, screening of TB, malaria, leprosy and locally endemic communicable and non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular ailments. There is also provision of first aid, minor surgical procedures and suturing.
With regard to maternal and child health services, it promotes antenatal check-ups for pregnancies and institutional deliveries, counselling for breast-feeding, distribution of oral contraceptives and condoms, birth registration, immunization and iron and folic acid supplementation.
Further, the MMU is fitted with diagnostic facilities for blood pressure, blood sugar, haemoglobin and lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Also, government and private hospital diagnostic facilities are leveraged for tests which cannot be administered using equipments available on the MMU.
The health van is linked with Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and District Hospital in the area for referral service. It has fixed delivery points on appointed dates and its benefits are brought to the underserved people through community mobilization.