Bengaluru:  The Karnataka Government yesterday rolled out 16 Mobile Health Clinics to provide medical services at the doorsteps of tribals dwelling in forest areas. These 16 mobile clinics cost Rs.50 lakh each and will cater to forest-dwelling persons from Jenu Kurubas, Koragas and other tribes,” an official statement said.

An initiative of the Social Welfare Department, these mobile clinics are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) and medical testing devices.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara and Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge launched the mobile clinics at the Vidhana Soudha.

Each mobile clinic will have doctors, nurses, pharmacist, laboratory technician, and junior health assistant. “Each mobile clinic vehicle will visit two villages daily in the morning and afternoon hours. Apart from examination of patients and providing them medicines, the team will spread awareness on healthcare issues,” said Kharge. Patients requiring specialised treatment will be shifted to the nearest hospitals, the Minister said.

“The clinics will also be equipped with digital patient record system and enable expansion of public health network,” added Kharge.

In the first phase, eight mobile clinic teams will visit Somwarpet, Virajpet and Madikeri taluks of Kodagu district, Periyapatna, H.D. Kote and Hunsur taluks of Mysuru district, and Kollegal, Yelandur and Gundlupet taluks of Chamarajanagar district.

In the second phase, eight more teams will take care of Bantwal and Puttur taluks of Dakshina Kannada district, Kundapura and Udupi taluks of Udupi district, Shikaripura taluk of Shivamogga district, and Haliyal taluk of Uttara Kannada district.

As per the 2016 Rural Health Statistics report, the State has a tribal population of around 34,29,791 but the average doctor-patient ratio in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) is a paltry 1:90,000.