Dibrugarh district’s Mobile Medical Units (MMUs), operated under the National Health Mission (NHM), Assam, are bringing primary and diagnostic healthcare directly to tea garden workers and residents, officials said, helping overcome access barriers in remote, border and plantation areas. At present 21 MMUs are operational across the district, providing on-site consultations, investigations and free medicines, the health department said.
An official said 20 of the MMUs are dedicated exclusively to serving the district’s 147 tea gardens, while one unit focuses on non-tea-garden and other underserved communities, enabling the tea garden population to receive specialized care at their doorstep. “The service has proven to be a boon, particularly for the people residing in remote, border, and tea garden areas of the district,” the official added.
Each MMU functions as a “hospital on wheels” with a team comprising one medical officer, one GNM nurse, one laboratory technician, one eye assistant and one pharmacist. The units provide OPD consultations and laboratory investigations including LFT, KFT, CBC and ECG, along with eye screening and consultation, and distribution of free medicines, the department said.
The MMU programme has delivered substantial outreach: 391,403 people were screened in the 2024–25 financial year. In 2025–26 the units conducted 6,300 camps and screened 394,428 people. In the current financial year (April–June 2026) 98,503 people have already been screened, the official reported.
Beyond screening, the MMUs carry out health education, public announcements and audio-visual awareness campaigns, which officials say have increased health awareness and public trust in government health schemes. “Through timely investigations and counselling, early detection and management of several critical illnesses have been ensured,” an official said.
The department noted that MMUs have supported maternal and child health services and management of malnutrition, anaemia and non-communicable diseases in tea garden areas. Availability of treatment and diagnostic services through MMUs has also reduced referrals and eased the burden on district hospitals, the official added.
“This initiative stands as a living example of the commitment and successful implementation by the Health Department of Dibrugarh,” an official said, reaffirming the District Health Society’s pledge to ensure “accessible and quality healthcare for all,” particularly for remote and marginalized tea garden communities.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-nhm-mobile-medical-units-expand-healthcare-access-in-dibrugarh-tea-gardens.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-07-19 10:15:00
