A large number of patients thronged the Naharlagun Railway Station near here on Monday to avail free medical services provided by Lifeline Express, the world’s first hospital on wheels.
The project here was inaugurated by health and family welfare minister Alo Libang.
Lifeline Express, also known as Jeevan Rekha, is a joint initiative of Impact India Foundation, Indian Railways and Ministry of Health which has been providing healthcare facilities to people, especially to residents in far-flung areas since 1991.
The train offers free of cost quality healthcare services including OPD facility, sterilized operating theatres, cancer awareness and screening and restorative surgeries for vision, hearing, clefts, orthopaedic, neurological, dental and gynaecological problems.
The mobile train hospital has conducted more than 1, 46,046 surgeries and treated over 12 lakh patients in its OPD across 138 districts in 19 states of the country free of cost.
Earlier, while speaking on the occasion, minister Libang thanked the Impact India Foundation for bringing the Lifeline Express to the state.
He said that the concept of the train hospital is very rare and unique at the same time as it provides several healthcare facilities to those who hail from far flung areas under one single platform.
Libang urged the people to pass on the information regarding the Lifeline Express and its facilities to their friends and relatives so that more could avail the facility.
The minister also urged the health director to extend all cooperation for the successful conduct of the project.
Chandrakant Deshpande, senior operating officer the Lifeline Express Impact India Foundation, said that more than 30 patients have been listed for cataract surgery today after screening.
The Lifeline Express will continue it project till March 5 here.