Andhra Pradesh - Nizamabad   

Transporting rural poor to good health

Staff Reporter

NIZAMABAD: The Commissioner for Family Welfare, C.B.S. Venkataramana, has called for selfless service by the Non-Governmental Organisations for the successful implementation of the Rural Health Transport System, a pilot project meant for extending emergency healthcare to rural poor.

Attending as chief guest at the NGO training programme on the RHTS organised by the Medical and Health Department, here on Friday, he said the new initiative would fill the gaps in rural transportation to rush pregnant women and ailing children to nearby hospitals if an emergency arose.

The urban areas were exempted from the service since medical and health services and transport facilities were readily available in towns.

The execution and success of the project would largely depend on the dedicated work of the NGOs, he said.

In-charge NGO

The district has been divided into 13 segments clubbing two to three mandals according to their contiguity and geographical convenience.

Each segment would be allotted to one NGO. It will be provided with one jeep, one ambulance and Rs.12,000 per month for expenditure.

The NGO has to arrange an office space and a telephone and recruit two project coordinators, a driver and two ANMs.

The NGOs need to give good publicity too to the RHTS with the cooperation of villagers and Mahila Samakhya workers.

Round the clock

The facility needs to be available round the clock.

According to a study, in each segment four to six patients requiring emergency medical aid would have to be shifted to nearby area hospital every day.

Explaining the idea behind the launching of the RHTS, he said it was in place only to control child mortality in rural areas.

Therefore, the NGOs entrusted with the responsibility should ensure that not even a single case missed.

The district Collector, D.V. Raidu, the Project Director, Velugu, P. Chinatataiah and the District Medical and Health Officer, S. Krishna Rao spoke.

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