State health department launches new project for poor

Starting from July, the West Bengal health department will launch a project whereby medical vans will reach the doorstep of the patients, will treat them free of cost and the deprived class will be given priority.

Dr Sashi Panja, minister of state for health, said the project would be inaugurated on  July 1, it will be introduced in the KMC area and soon will be spread to all the districts. Atin Ghosh, mayor in council said the KMC doctors had been making plans to make the project a success. 

The Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly said that medical treatment should reach the poor and keeping this in view,  cheap medicine shops had been opened in hospitals and free beds have been provided to all the state-run medical colleges.

The van will have doctors, para medical staffs and medicines. There will be an arrangement to collect blood samples and examine it. Many children and elderly people often suffer from viral fever during monsoon. If informed, the medical van will reach the affected and a camp will be set-up in the area where people can come and get the treatment at free of cost. Meanwhile, the civic authorities have decided to open medical camps in clubs in consultation with the councillors. The KMC doctors will attend the camps and examine the patients.

It has been found that patients often fail to visit borough health offices because of the rush. So, to 

give medical assistance to more patients, the step has been taken. The KMC has malaria and dengue clinics in the city where blood samples are tested and medicines are given at free of cost. The 

KMC doctors follow the recommendations of the World Health Organisation for treating malaria.