Darbhanga MP Kirti Azad on Sunday flagged off a mobile hospital van at Dhoi Ghat in the Sadar block of the district, about 165km northeast of Patna.

The mobile van is equipped with modern medical equipment. It has a mini operation theatre, pathology laboratory and a mini dispensary. A team of seven members — comprising two doctors along with nurses and auxiliary midwives — would run the mobile hospital, delivering healthcare to people’s doorsteps.

At present, six mobile health van are delivering services — one each at the six Assembly constituencies in Darbhanga: Ghanshayampur, Alinagar, Darbhanga (rural), Bahadurpur, Sadar and Benipur. Azad said: “The condition of healthcare in the rural areas is abysmal. This mobile hospital will help improve the condition.”

He added: “This van has all modern facilities, such as a pathology laboratory for conducting stool, urine and blood test. Apart from these, the trained technicians in the van would be able to conduct ECG and X-ray of patients.”

The cricketer-turned-politician said: “Initially, we are providing six vans. If they function successfully, we shall provide six more. As these vans are being provided under the national rural health mission, a non-government organisation would be in charge of managing them.”

Sources said each van was procured at a cost of Rs 33 lakh. The funds were provided by the MP’s local area development account.

Residents of the areas the van would visit are upbeat about it. “It will be a boon for people like us,” said Gandhi Nagar resident Mukesh Kumar Jha.