Punjab Government has decided to waive-off user charges for health facilities and services being provided by its mobile medical units and mini mobile medical units in the State with immediate effect.
The decision has been taken by in the interest of general public, especially the under-served population living in difficult and far flung areas, said the State Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Vini Mahajan.
With this initiative, all the health facilities in mobile medical units and mini mobile medical units will become free of cost. This includes OPD services, lab tests, X-ray and ECG etc. Prior to this, OPD slip fee, lab test and other medicines etc ware chargeable on Government rates.
Mahajan said that annually, around four lakh people avail the health services benefits of mobile medical units in Punjab. “Twenty-four mobile medical units and nine mini mobile medical units are functioning which cover 10,000 villages of the state,” she said.
Annually one lakh lab tests are conducted in MMUs, over 10 lakh X-rays and ECGs are also conducted in these MMUs and mini MMUs.
Principal Secretary told that the purpose of MMU is to make available healthcare services to poor rural population and people living in urban slums, who do not have easy access to government health institutions at their door step.
These MMUs are also a boon for the people who are unable to visit hospitals, especially old age people, children, women etc.
“In each MMU, one doctor, one nurse, one radiographer, one lab technician, helper and driver have been posted,” said Mahajan, adding that Punjab is already providing facility of cashless delivery in Punjab Government hospitals since past many years, which has resulted in a significant improvement in state IMR (infant mortality rate) and MMR (maternal mortality ratio).
Presently, the state’s IMR has improved by 18 points, that is 44 in 2005 to 26 in 2013 (as per SRS data).
Similarly, the MMR has also improved, from 155 to 141 as per SRS data. Government also provides free of cost facilities of referral transport, treatment and medicines to the pregnant women, she said.