Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced on Monday that an air dispensary will start functioning soon in Manipur.
The Central government plans to introduce a helicopter-based Dispensary/OPD service in far-flung and remote areas where no doctor or medical facility is available and patients also do not have access to any medical care.
According to health department officials, the service will also be launched simultaneously in Meghalaya.
The Chief Minister made the statement in the Manipur Assembly. He said the dispensaries will start functioning soon.
According to Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla, the idea of air dispensary was her brainchild.
"During my official visit to Australia I came to know of the air dispensary services there.
I approached the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce such dispensary service in Manipur.
"Most of the remote and secluded villages have no access to modern medicare. The Prime Minister patiently heard my proposal and assured all possible help," Heptulla said.
In the absence of ambulance or motorable roads in the hilly areas, many times the expectant mothers and physically weak patients in the northeast region are taken in litters to hospitals.
The BJP government in Manipur had taken steps to provide round-the-clock services in rural and hill hospitals. However, it failed due to lack of enough staff in hospitals and scarcity of life-saving machines and medicines.
"The doctors will rush to the affected villages in the well-equipped and stocked helicopters to attend to the patients in the remote villages," Heptulla said.
--IANS
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