HelpAge’s Mobile Healthcare programme seeks to provide sustainable healthcare solutions to destitute elders and their community where there are none available through its Mobile Healthcare Units (MHUs). Each MHU has a doctor, pharmacist and a social worker. These MHUs go into the interiors of urban slums and villages, bringing healthcare virtually at the doorsteps of these elders. For most elders it saves them from the long lines at hospitals, which are situated far from their communities, and they get free medication on a monthly basis. Their individual patient card keeps a record of their treatment and helps monitor their progress.

The MHUs have also become awareness generating sites, with the social worker empowering the disadvantaged elder with information on various diseases, along with educating them on the various preventive measures that can be taken to prevent the onset of any deadly disease. HelpAge’s MHU service has been recognized as Asia’s largest mobile healthcare network for elders. Currently, 170 MHUs are servicing 2747 community locations, spread over 23 states, and have provided 3 million treatments.

These MHUs often conduct multispeciality health camps on various diseases with specialist doctors such as gynaecologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, etc.

Healthcare Services: 

• Free consultation & treatment
• Free medicines for common ailments
• Diagnostics: Common ailments, diabetes, hypertension
• Counseling, health & nutrition awareness – preventive healthcare
• Home visits for bedridden elderly patients
• Referral linkage with local secondary & tertiary healthcare providers for higher order treatments
• Community awareness of elder rights & entitlements
• Linkages with government schemes & programmes for elderly, also providing benefits to the community