AP 104 service in PPP mode

Ongole: In a major development, the State government has delegated the maintenance of overseeing 104 services to Piramal Swasthya, a healthcare NGO, beginning from Friday. The government and the NGO had already entered into a MoU to this effect under PPP model.

Govt inks pact with NGO Piramal Swasthya to oversee the operation of medical services

Piramal Swasthya is a subsidiary of the NGO Piramal Foundation working in healthcare field and and was associated with 104 services ever since it was launched in 2008. It has already handled the 104 telemedicine service in the State. It is currently working in Assam, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha and providing the same services.

• Mobile medical units and 104 teams visit villages on a fixed day every month.
• They conduct medical camps, screen patients, distribute medicines and also refer those patients who require more medical attention to the nearby area hospital

This apart, the NGO is also collaborating with the State government, under ‘Shruti’ programme, to detect and offer timely treatment for ear infections to prevent permanent loss of hearing. The NGO would now offer the regular fixed day health services (FDH Service) to the rural patients through 104 vehicles, where mobile medical units are installed.

The 104 services were launched in the united AP in February 2008. These services are aimed at providing PHC services like treating chronic diseases, maternal and child healthcare services to the public of rural and remote areas in the State. The mobile medical units and 104 teams visit villages on a fixed day in every month.

They conduct medical camps, screen the patients, distribute medicines and refer those people who require more medical attention to the nearby area hospital. In every 104 team, there is a staff nurse/ANM, lab technician and pharmacist in the vehicle besides other supporting staff like Asha workers.

Between 2008 and 2014, the 475 vehicles of 104 services have served 1.15 crore people with 24 lakh visits in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. But after 2014, these services are neglected with a number of reasons, primarily because of fund crunch and medicine shortage.

In last Assembly session, Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas announced that they would improve the services from April 1 and provide a medical officer to attend to emergencies. The Minister also said that 104 services would be renamed as ‘NTR Sanchara Vaidyam’.

The Piramal Swasthya would take over the responsibility to provide mobile PHC services to the rural public, and also offer emergency treatment service by appointing a MBBS doctor as medical officer. The NGO would install GPS trackers in the vehicles and make ensure that the scheduled camps are being conducted without fail.

District medical and health officer Dr J Yasmin said: “There are 20 vehicles to carry out 104 services in the district. The Piramal NGO has appointed the medical officer and a nurse in addition to the existing staff.

The deputy DMHOs would plan and schedule the camps for the 104 vehicles for a minimum of 20 days in a month. They would update the data relating to number of patients and services offered in the computer.”