Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister K T Rama Rao inaugurated Mobile ICU buses here on Thursday. These vehicles have facilities such as oxygen supported beds, a dedicated monitoring system, CCTV and video for live interaction and capturing, duty doctors, nursing staff, ward members and technicians.
The Minister said the buses would be pressed into service in rural areas.
“In the first phase, 32 buses will be operational and in the second phase, an additional 33 buses are being planned. If needed, every district in Telangana would be provided with two buses,” the minister said.
“In remotely located rural areas, let it be parts of Adilabad, Kothagudem, Asifabad or Kumaram Bheem Asifabad, sending these mobile medical units will be useful,” he added.
The Minister thanked the members of Lord’s Church and Vera Smart Healthcare for taking up the initiative and mentioned that oxygen concentrators and invasive ventilators can be added to the existing vehicles and sent to rural areas.
“My compliments to you – Pastor and the entire team of Lord’s Church. Like you said service to man is service to god, I thank you for offering such a service. The Church management has also said that they will treat the poor for free and others at a minimal cost,” Rao said, asking officials to extend the services to all the districts.
“I request the Chief Secretary to instruct the health department and district collectors to work with these people, coordinate with them and make sure this programme becomes a huge success,” the minister said, adding that the initiative was the first of its kind in India.
Rao hailed the healthcare workers and thanked them for their services rendered amid the pandemic.
“Amid pandemic, we have once again realised the importance and value of healthcare workers. All the efforts you have been putting in since one and half years is amazing. You people now seem like God on earth. You need to take care of yourself and the rest,” he said.
Animal Husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, MAUD principal secretary Arvind Kumar and others were present.
