Masters of medicine

Run by Helpage India,the ambulance is one of 40 such vehicles that have been delivering such services at various locations across the country. “The service was originally launched in Delhi in 1984. In Pune,we introduced the vehicle on June 8,1999,” says Mangesh Kulkarni,manager,Maharashtra Goa,Help Age India as he adds,“Since then we have been providing service at various locations in the city on one fixed day. For instance,we are at Karve Nagar on Tuesday,Parvati and Swargate Chowk on Monday,Yerawada on Friday and so on. The vehicle is stationed and people come and take treatments as well as medication. The time and the locations have remained unchanged for the past 10 years so much so that people swear by the punctuality of the van.”

Loaded with allopathic medicines,a doctor,pharmacist and a project in charge,the MMU offers consultation,medical service as well as medication to senior citizens who visit the van with their illnesses. Majority of the illnesses treated in the van are diabetes,blood pressure,heart diseases and most importantly cataract wherein the unit operators have a tie up with H V Desai Eye Hospital in Hadapsar for a free of cost cataract operation for the van’s beneficiaries. “For the past 10 years,we have been handling 100 cases per day. Not only that on a yearly basis,the number is as high as 20,000 patients. Currently,we are covering three old age homes and nine slums in the city and majority of our beneficiaries are senior citizens coming from economically poor background,” says Kulkarni.

Registered in the Limca Book of Records for being the only mobile van unit to have been serving since 1984,the MMU is the first and the only initiative by Help Age India run by the organisation itself as the rest of the projects are just financed by them. “The group of beneficiaries has become one single family and we celebrate almost all the festivals together. 66-year-old Shankar Ingle,a resident of Janwadi slum who came to us with cataract in both his eyes went back with a clear vision. Today he is our volunteer and a role model for our members. And on the occasion of our 10th anniversary,we say we are richer by 20,000 such experiences,” he says.

(Help Age India has organised 10th anniversary celebration at their Karve Nagar site on June 8)