Clinics on Wheels Expands Access in Rural Maharashtra, Offers Portable Diagnostics bags

Powered by basic diagnostic tools such as glucometers, haemoglobin meters, eye-testing kits, and portable health diagnostic bags, these units are bridging the healthcare delivery gap in remote regions with limited access to hospitals.

Mobile medical units, commonly known as clinics on wheels, are quietly transforming healthcare access in rural Maharashtra.

Powered by basic diagnostic tools such as glucometers, haemoglobin meters, eye-testing kits, and portable health diagnostic bags, these units are bridging the healthcare delivery gap in remote regions with limited access to hospitals.

Operated by both NGOs and state government agencies, the mobile clinics are designed to reduce dependency on overstretched public health systems while ensuring timely treatment for chronic and preventive care needs.

The care-on-wheels initiative by the Impact Guru Foundation (IGF-India) is one such example, operating across villages in Nashik’s Sinnar taluka. In addition to offering free consultations, the vans are stocked with essential medicines, enabling continuity of care for rural patients with conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

“Impact Guru Foundation's (IGF-India) care-on-wheels programme provides me with free medicines near my home. Besides these regular medications, I am being checked by doctors for other health issues,” he said.

Health experts see this tech-enabled model as an efficient alternative to traditional infrastructure-heavy public healthcare, especially in underserved and hilly regions.

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