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Ahmedabad, Nov 21 (IANS) Over 13.5 lakh people in Gujarat have benefited from OPD services offered by the state’s 137 mobile health-medical units, which have become lifeline facilities providing essential healthcare to remote and deprived communities.
Guided by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and led by Health Minister Prafulla Pansheriya, the initiative is ensuring that primary healthcare reaches the last mile.
Keeping in mind the diverse geography of the state, 102 mobile health units and 35 mobile medical units operate across Gujarat, including 80 in tribal areas, 23 in salt-pan (Agaria) areas, 11 in desert areas, four in forest areas and 19 in general rural areas.
As of September 2025, the units have collectively served more than 13.5 lakh citizens through OPD consultation, conducted laboratory tests for more than five lakh people, provided antenatal care to more than 8,000 women, and identified more than 1,000 high-risk pregnancies.
Each mobile unit is deployed at a Primary Health Center (PHC) to ensure seamless coordination and timely delivery of services.
Their daily operations follow action plans and fixed routes prepared by medical officers of Primary Health Centers (PHCs), Total Health Solutions and Chief District Health Officers, enabling structured, reliable outreach tailored to local health care needs.
These mobile units are playing a vital role in strengthening health care access at the grassroots level across the state.
Mobile health-medical units are specially equipped vans that deliver essential health services directly to people living in remote, tribal, desert, forest and underserved rural areas where access to hospitals is limited.
Consisting of medical officers and paramedics, these units provide basic OPD consultation, medicines, laboratory tests, antenatal care, screening of high-risk cases and health education.
By traveling to villages on fixed routes, they ensure that primary health care – especially for vulnerable populations – reaches citizens at their doorsteps, reducing delays in treatment and strengthening last mile health access across the state.
Gujarat’s healthcare system combines a strong public infrastructure with rapid expansion of specialized services, offering a wide network of primary health centres, community health centres, district hospitals, medical colleges and super-specialty institutions across the state.
The state government has focused on last-mile delivery through initiatives such as mobile health-medical units, 108 emergency services, maternal and child health programs and digital health systems.
Urban centers such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat host advanced private hospitals and research facilities, while major public institutions such as Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society and AIIMS Rajkot are strengthening tertiary care.
With ongoing investments in infrastructure, technology, disease surveillance and workforce capacity, Gujarat is establishing itself as a model for accessible, efficient and proactive health care delivery.
–IANS
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