Naharlagun, Feb 17: Impact India’s hospital train, the Lifeline Express, arrived at the Naharlagun railway station on Monday.
The train, which went on its maiden journey on 16 July, 1991, provides a number of medical services. It visits different parts of the country – usually rural areas with insufficient healthcare facilities, or areas hit by natural disasters – and generally stays at each place for 21 to 25 days, providing medical care to the local people.
Addressing the gathering after the train’s arrival, Health Minister Alo Libang urged the people to inform their friends and family members about the train and the medical services provided by it.
“The Lifeline Express provides some of the latest cancer screening and detection facilities, like mammography, which is not yet available anywhere in the state,” Libang said.
He asked the health services directorate and all heads of departments to render their support to the officials and staff of Impact India.
Libang urged Impact India’s officials and medical team to provide diagnoses and treatment only for ailments for which they have the required expertise and facilities.
Senior executive officer of Impact India, Chandrakant Deshpandey, informed that the foundation refers patients diagnosed with serious ailments to national grid hospitals.
“We follow such cases for at least three months to see that the patients safely reach the hospitals they are referred to, and are provided with the required treatment,” Deshpandey said.
Responding to a query, he said Impact India’s Lifeline Express will conduct a similar medical programme in Bhalukpong, in West Kameng district, next year.
The National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment’s State Programme Officer, Dr Taba Khanna, said the health services directorate is providing full support to the Lifeline Express by way of providing nurses, optometrist, surgeons, etc.
“Information dissemination to the districts regarding the Lifeline Express is being done through the directorate, while locally the district administration of Itanagar and DMO Papum Pare is doing all the needful at the ground level,” he said.
The Lifeline Express will be providing clinical diagnoses and treatment for, among other things, cataract and middle ear ailments, besides providing plastic surgery (cleft lip and post-burn contractures) and orthopaedic corrective surgery and providing treatment for oral, breast and cervical cases, epilepsy, dental issues, etc, from 17 February to 5 March at the Naharlagun railway station premises.
As many as 132 patients had registered for treatment on Monday.
