By Dr. Nasreen

India is an agricultural country, 70% of its population resides in villages, they are below the poverty line & most of them are illiterate also. They live on natural resources & avail limited facilities. So, living under such miserable conditions they do not pay any heed towards their health & the diseases they are prone to get. The result of such carelessness is that these diseases sometimes become incurable & fatal.

Hence, to care for the diseased there is one unit that provides all health facilities under one roof. The facilities like Lab. Investigations, X-ray, U.S.G. & both minor as well as major operations. This unit is better known as the “Mobile Surgical Unit (M.S.U.)”

It is the largest hospital on wheels in Asia . It provides medical facilities to the villagers at their doorstep itself.

This unit consists of efficient team of doctors & paramedical staff. It is an astonishing 500-bedded hospital ‘on wheels'. It provides all types of facilities including routine as well as specific investigations along with blood transfusion. All the drugs are supplied to the patients free of cost, even the operations are done free of cost. Hence patients can enjoy the facilities of an urban hospital at their doorstep itself.

All sorts of surgeries are under taken like appendicitis, laparotomy, thyroid, hernias, hydrocele, cholecystectomy, cystolithotomy, nephrolithotomy, anorectal surgeries, breast surgeries & minor operations. Along with these ophthalomological, orthopedic, gynae & E.N.T. operations are also under taken.

The patients are admitted for operations & the criteria for operation depends on the following factors:

•  Absence of any chronic disease like T.B., hypertension, prolonged fever, heart disease, diabetes mellitus.

•  Absence of anemia (major cause of rejection), jaundice, chronic renal diseases.

•  Absence of debilitating conditions& U.R.I.

If the patients suffer from such diseases they are first treated then operated. The postoperative infection rate is very less i.e. 0.5-1% (6 cases reported in 600) as:

•  The work is done in aseptic & sterile conditions pre & para operatively.

•  In each camp the operations are carried out in different operation theatres at different places where resistant bacteria don't exist.

•  After operations the dressing isn't changed for 5 days because of high quality work.

The mortality is nil with Almighty's grace.

Lastly the patients are discharged on the 7 th postoperative day after the removal of stitches.

After 3-4 weeks follow up is done & feedback is taken from the patient. Mostly no complications are reported.

Finally I would like to conclude by saying that this unit works very hard as a team to provide the best facilities & recovery to the patients.