Jammu, May 9:  With a view to improve delivery of health care services in rural areas, Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to purchase 22 Mobile Medical Units (MMU), one for each district of the state.
Sources informed Greater Kashmir that under National Health Rural Mission (NRHM) the health department would provide one MMU to each district of the state to facilitate doorstep health services to far off areas.
 They said that in the first phase, 11 MMUs would be sanctioned to most deserving districts.
 “Each Medical Mobile Unit   costs  around 75 Lakh   having diagnosis facility, including X-ray machine, Ultrasound machine, ECG and Testing Laboratories, which would be manned by a team of doctors ” they said.
They further said that Rs 8.25 crore has been released by the Central government to   procure Mobile Medical Units for 11 high focused districts of the state, including Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Leh, Kargil, Kupwara and Bandipora. The funds for the remaining 13 units are also expected to be released soon, sources added.
Sources further disclosed that the MMU would facilitate those areas which were still untouched by the health facilities but have road connectivity. “There are thousands of villages in the state especially in the mountainous regions which sans   or have negligible health facilities. Those villages which are connected with the road link will be benefited with the state of art MMUs in near future” they said.
The contract committee, they said, has already finalised the proposal while the funds for 11 units have been sanctioned. “In coming days the tenders will be floated, following which the mobile vans would be purchased by the directorate of NRHM” they said.
Minister of Health, Sham Lal Sharma, while confirming the project, said that  in the first phase 11 MMUs would be provided to 11 districts of the state . He said that the facilities would be made available within one month time. He further added that the remaining districts would also get the  MMUs  in second phase.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 IST