One-rupee clinics to be made available at Mumbai metro stations from August

From August, 2017, the one-lakh daily passengers of the Mumbai Metro would be able to use different types of medical treatment at only Rs 1 at five stations - Andheri, Ghatkopar, Sakinaka, Marol Naka and DN Nagar.

Reliance Metro has provided a permit to Dr Rahul Ghule - former medical officer of the Arthur Road jail - the man behind these one-rupee clinics. These clinics which will be established at these stations from August along with pharmacies. These centres will also have the sample dropping services for pathology tests.

The permission for the new set of clinics was given after the good response from similar clinics at the Dadar, Ghatkopar, Kurla and Vikhroli stations. The letter of confirmation from Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL), reads, "We are pleased to inform you that we have accepted your proposal for setting up and operating Magicdil Health Services at Mumbai Metro Line." "We will replicate the same facilities that are available in other centres," said Dr Ghule.

The main aim of the clinics, however, would be to offer emergency health services within the golden period of any accident. "In any accident, the golden period is the most important. If a patient is provided with quick emergency medical aid, like oxygen, then the morbidity rate can be controlled. After that, we can shift them to any nearby hospital through the ambulance of railway," he said.

The clinics would have doctors available twenty-four by seven and visiting specialists to help patients with their health issues. "We are collaborating with various private hospitals and specialized doctors to provide better treatment to patients at these centres. These facilities would also help in decreasing the pressure on tertiary-level medical establishments and saving more lives," Ghule added.

Patients can also use the facility of getting pathology tests done at subsidized rates, since the mobile clinics have a collaboration with Thyrocare. Patients can submit their samples to the centres that would further relay them for analysis to pathology centres, after which the reports could be collected again at the stations.