GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.387
TO BE ANSWERED ON 18-2-2009

BENEFITS FROM TIFAC SPONSORED PROJECT

387. SHRI BHAGAT SINGH KOSHYARI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether some time back his Ministry had inaugurated a mobile hospital and research unit for the improvement of health and medical services; and
(b) the benefits by this Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) sponsored project and the type of research material made available through this medium?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES
(KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. This was a joint project of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), Department of Health, Government of Uttarakhand and was being implemented by Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Bhimtal. The project was completed in March, 2008. The mobile van followed two identified routes covering six districts of Uttarakhand i.e., Champawat, Nainital, Almora, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Chamoli. Total camps organised in a period of about five and a half years were 1018 (almost one camp on every alternate day) treating about one lakh patients. Out of these 54% patients belonged to below poverty line. During the camps, health awareness related information we also communicated through audio-visual facilities. Valuable information and data was collected during this experiment relating to disease profile on the basis of gender, age, season and different locations.