By Brij Khandelwal
Agra, May 16 (IANS): In what is perhaps a world record, a million people across 100 cities in India were screened at 500 health camps on a single day and provided tests and services worth Rs.15 crore ($2.5 million), an organiser said.
The camps were held ealier this week and data relating to them has only now been compiled, said Sheetal Kapoor, an official of OXXY Swasth Bharat which organised the initiative.
"Oxxy stands for Oxygen for the next generation aims at making health services transparent and making people aware about services available at various places in India and the comparative costs for availing of facilities," the founder of the organisation, which has four centres across the country, told IANS.
"The Oxxy concept began with ideals rooted in a simple, yet pioneering vision, to make medical services more affordable by providing transparency in healthcare," he added.
"We decided to conduct these mega 500 camps in India for the benefit of society. We believe in equality and being healthy is a right for all. This is just a try to give back to society what we and our ancestors have earned since long," Gupta said.
These tests conducted included blood sugar, TSH, BP, ECG, pulmonary function, cholesterol, diagnostics, dental, eye, skin, hair, fitness, and stress relief.
The medical centres that were part of this initiative included BLK Hospital, Metro Hospital, Wellness Pathcare, Dr. Batra's, Dr Khosla's Dental Clinic and My Family Dentist.
"Apart from these OXXY received many more requests from medical centres to be a part of this noble cause. Never in the past has an initiative of this nature been undertaken," Kapoor said.
As part of the Swastha Bharat initiative led by OXXY, free pick-and-drop services for any medical need has been now started in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Kolkatta, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Kochi. The facility can be availed of by dialing 09999-000-102.
According to Indian health statistics, the life expectancy of males in India is 64 and of females 67. The mortality rate is 46 per 1,000 live births.