BSP providing free medical services in buffer zone villages of Rowghat mining project

Central Chronicle News
Bhilai, Sept 09: SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant in collaboration with Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Narayanpur has been providing mobile medical services to the population in 22 buffer zone villages surrounding SAIL-Bhilai’s Rowghat Mining Project area in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
As many as 2769 patients have been treated with the help of mobile dispensary and 357 pathology tests done since April 2021. As many as 94 patients have been referred for further treatment at RKM Hospital. A well-equipped Mobile Dispensary is now doing the rounds in the 22 buffer zone villages for providing mobile medical services to the largely tribal population residing in these villages.
A Memorandum of Understanding had been signed between SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant and Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Narayanpur in March 2021 for providing mobile medical services to the population in 22 buffer zone villages surrounding SAIL-Bhilai’s Rowghat Mining Project area in Bastar.
Samir Swarup, CGM (Mines-Rowghat), Bhilai Steel Plant visited the region recently to see medical services being provided with the help of mobile dispensary cum ambulance, along with Swami Vyaptanandji who heads the RK Mission Ashram at Narayanpur.
The buffer zone area in Rowghat is having inadequate health infrastructure such as hospitals, doctors and other paramedical support. SAIL-Bhilai had therefore decided to collaborate with Ramakrishna Mission Ashram for providing uninterrupted medical services. Out of the 2769 patients who have been treated so far since April 21, the number of male and female patients from villages in Narayanpur is 521 and 565, respectively.
The number of male and female patients from villages in Kanker is 718 and 516, respectively. As many as 217 children from villages in Narayanpur have been treated so far while 232 children from villages in Kanker have been treated so far.
Established in 1985, the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram has been serving tribal population spread over a large area in villages in the jungles of Abujhmarh.
As per the MoU signed between SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant and Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, the latter is providing free and uninterrupted medical & health services in the buffer zone villages of Rowghat Mines from April 2021, including in-patient treatment at RK Mission Hospital at Narayanpur, for which SAIL-Bhilai has provided grants.
Serious patients are brought to Ashrama Hospital, Arogya Dham for which the cost of treatment is borne by the Ashram. Only those patients who require specialised treatment will be referred to SAIL-BSP’s JLN Hospital in Bhilai in consultation with CSR Rowghat Cell and the cost of such referred cases will be borne by BSP.
Grants provided by SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant cover one-time expenditure for procurement of well-equipped bus cum ambulance for providing mobile medical services, for construction of housing facility for doctors and medical/health service staff of Rowghat mobile medical services at RK Ashram and other essential infrastructure. As per MoU, SAIL-BSP shall also provide grants for recurring annual expenditure.
The 22 villages covered include Khodgaon, Khadkagaon, Binjali, Supgaon, Anjarel, Kerlapal, Bharanda, Temarugaon, Kanera, Paralbhat, Khairabhat, Bhaiyasalebhat/Sargipal, Phulpad, Bhaisgaon, Arurbeda, Ghotiya, Padargaon, Mangatasalebhat, Kumhari, Talabeda and Kolar. As many as 398 patients were treated in April, 525 in May, 539 in June, 576 in July and 731 in August 21.
SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant has been carrying out various CSR activities for about 14 years in the region. Besides organising health camps since 2007, fully aiding the Ispat DAV English medium school, adopting 20 girls from the region every year for admission in Nursing Colleges in Bhilai, and working to improve lives of village folk, SAIL-BSP has given employment to more than 125 persons from families displaced by the railway track after training them in ITI.
SAIL-BSP has been bearing the cost of construction of the rail line that connects the region to BSP’s Rajhara Mining township and also with rest of the state.