Karnataka Health Minister flags off mobile clinic to detect cancer and heart ailments

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday flagged off 'Wellness on Wheels', an advanced mobile clinic which will travel across the state focusing on preventive screening and diagnosis of heart and cancer ailments.

According to officials, this is a societal initiative by Volvo Group, which has built and provided this advanced, connected mobile community clinic, in partnership with Narayana Health with support from the Karnataka government.

The Health and Family Welfare Department shall provide basic infrastructure support for the mobile clinic at government hospitals and primary health centers, in order to provide the needful screening for patients.

"This initiative 'Wellness on Wheels' is set to reach districts, taluks, rural areas, and slums in various parts of Karnataka to provide the much-needed assistance to the economically disadvantaged sections of society," an official statement said.

The mobile clinic has been especially designed, customised and equipped with advanced screening equipment for detecting cancer and heart ailments along with non-invasive diagnostic tools, including Ultrasound, ECG and X-Ray, it said.

According to the statement, to enable telemedicine and consultation with experts at Narayana Health Hospital in Bengaluru, the vehicle is Wi-Fi enabled and is provided with high-end laptops, specially configured for doctors, to facilitate remote communication and to get expert advice on-the-go.

The 42-feet long, specially designed, spacious mobile clinic is airconditioned, equipped with a diagnostic lab, a chemical toilet, and is independently powered by on-board power sources. The vehicle has storage space for carrying canopies and chairs for patients in-waiting, it added.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, chairman, Narayana Health said, "Diagnosing illness at a late stage makes it harder to treat and alleviate a patient’s condition – which unfortunately is a norm today. We could save many lives if we can carry out early diagnoses. This mobile clinic will initiate the culture of preventive healthcare while reaching out to economically weaker and under-served sections in the country, helping to save precious lives."