Smile Foundation launched the phase – II of its innovative programme ‘Smile on Wheels’ on 10th of June, 2008 at Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. The launch function was marked by the flagging off of two ‘Smile on Wheels’ mobile hospitals by Ms Renuka Chowdhury, the Minister for Women and Child Development, Govt. of India. The two mobile hospitals would be providing health care services to un-reached populations in slums and urban villages of Delhi and Chennai and aim to cover a target population area of more than 4 lakhs.
“Mobility of healthcare for the underprivileged is the need of hour. Smile Foundation has understood this need and should be complemented for its efforts in this direction,” said Ms. Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of State for Women & Child Development, who was the chief guest on the occasion.
Ms. Chowdhury said, "Smile has supplemented what the government has not been able to achieve, i.e. reaching out to the poorest of poor with healthcare services in remote areas of the country."
“I request Smile Foundation to put child helpline numbers on all its mobile hospital so as to enable children in distress to reach out for help," suggested Minister for WCD, Ms. Renuka Chowdhury.
"I congratulate Smile Foundation for its wonderful programme and expect that they would extend the benefit of this programme to many more areas of the country,” the minister said.
‘Smile on Wheels’ is a national level mobile hospital programme from Smile Foundation which aims to take comprehensive health care services (preventive, promotive and curative) to the most underprivileged population in remote rural areas and urban slums who are either out of reach from health care facilities or are too poor to afford it.
The programme in less than 2 years of the launch of its first phase has managed to reach out and provide health care services to 1.5 lakh population in 249 villages spread across 5 states of Uttarakhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh with a population area of 7.5 lakhs.
Speaking on the occasion the chief guest Ms Renuka Chaudhary said, “This is a very ambitious and wonderful project which is going to benefit hundreds of thousands of people who otherwise suffer from various health complications for want of proper health care services in their vicinity”.
Mr Naresh Chaudhary, Chief Operating Officer, Smile Foundation, averred, “There is a yawning gap between the available health care services and their accessibility to a large population of our country. Initiatives like ‘Smile on Wheels’ need to be encouraged and supported by both the government as well as the private players if this gap is to be bridged.”
Smile Foundation has been awarded ‘NGO of the Year’ by GE Healthcare – Modern Medicare Excellence Award for ‘Smile on Wheels’ innovative contribution towards healthcare services for the poor and needy.
Services offered
The two fully airconditioned ‘Smile on Wheels’ mobile hospitals, at par with the best available for the purpose, are equipped with an Examination table, ECG, X-Ray machines, a dark room for X-Ray, Calorimeter, First aid kit, IV fluid transmission hook, Nebulizer, Centrifuge for pathological tests, Oxygen cylinders, Stretcher, Autoclaves, Small chiller cum refrigerator, Generator, Public address systems with a competent team of doctors and para-medical staff to man them.
The mobile hospitals provide OPD- curative services for common ailments, ante and postnatal services, provision to identify high risk pregnancies, immunization (Mother and Child), Minor surgery/ dressing of wounds, basic pathological services (Blood, Urine), referral services for serious patients requiring hospitalization, distribution of condoms, oral contraceptive pills, insertion of IUD, treatment of malnutrition cases, free distribution of iron, folic acid and vitamin A tablets to women and children in need.
Smile Foundation believes in the concept of ‘Progress through Partnership’
Smile on Wheels programme in Delhi is being implemented by Operation Blessing India. AEGIS and Ankur Club are supporting this project in Delhi. The foundation’s implementing partner for Chennai is the reputed Life Line Hospital Group.
Project Coverage
The Smile on Wheels mobile hospital in Chennai is proposed to cover areas like Perungudi village, Madipakkam, Sholinganallur, Perumpakkanur, Uthandi and Kouzami and covering a population of 2.5 lakhs.
Smile on Wheels in Delhi and NCR is likely to cover more than 24 slums.
Each mobile hospital will be operational for 24 days a month
