COVID-19: Force Motors deploys 80 mobile dispensaries in Maharashtra cities for medical check-ups

Pune-based automaker Force Motors on Monday said it has deployed over 80 mobile dispensaries along with teams of doctors and paramedics as well as medicines across several cities of Maharashtra to conduct medical check-ups, to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The mobile medical care facility, 'Doctor Aplya Daari', launched early this month in association with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which is also fully-equipped to identify coronavirus symptoms, has till Sunday checked over 1.11 lakh persons, the company said in a release.

The medicines are prescribed and given out for free, it said adding that these mobile units can check 2,500 people per day and can examine the symptoms of around 500 patients in a day.

Doctors in the vans monitor patients for cold and flu conditions and also inform them about preventive measures to be taken to prevent the coronavirus spread.

This initiative was started on April 1 with 30 mobile dispensary vans completely equipped with doctors, support staff and medicines moving to various economically weaker localities in Pune and Pune-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation regions as per a pre-intimated schedule. The team of medical staff with these vans are fully equipped to identify COVID-19 symptoms and direct suspect cases to the designated hospitals, it said adding that over 1,11,679 residents have been checked and more than 1,070 suspected COVID-19 patients were transferred to government hospitals in the last 26 days, the company said.

"As Maharashtra has become a hotspot in the country, it has created huge pressure on doctors and medical staff. We are proud to be associated with this noble initiative," said Force Motors Managing Director Prasan Firodia.

Force Motors also said it has already extended this initiative to other key cities such as Pune, Aurangabad, Dhule, Nashik, Ratnagiri, Sangli and Solapur.