Andhra Pradesh government has decided to launch 475 mobile medical clinics to help the poor access a better medicare facility in rural areas. As part of the scheme, the first phase of mobile clinics will be launched in three backward districts of Mahabubnagar, Anantapur and Srikakulam on the Republican Day.

Chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who designed the scheme by the virtue of being doctor, said here that an estimated four crore people would be benefited by these clinics. These clinics would render medicare to eight lakh pregnant women, 28 lakh children of below five years age, 80 lakh school going children 70 lakh people with chronic health disorders. They would be set up beyond 3 km reach from the primary health centres (PHCs),

The scheme envisaged training 40,000 workers as medical staff, 40,000 Anganwadi (village-level kindergartens) workers and 40,000 rural medical practitioners (RMPs), besides 1.4 lakh elected village representative in planning community mobilisation. Trained doctors would be deployed in rural areas to man the clinics. The RMPs would help the doctors.

The programmes included eradication of mosquitoes, improving sanitation and educating people in rural areas on seeking medical help instead of approaching quacks, the chief minister said. The salaries for those doctors opting to do rural services would be enhanced on par with their counterparts in urban areas.