I have heard of ‘ladies special’ buses, ‘university specials’ and even ‘holiday specials’. But the ‘medicare special’ started by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Bangalore is certainly a novel idea.

Apparently, these dedicated buses take three different routes and cover all the hospitals in Bangalore. The bus fare is nominal and some of the seats are even designed like railway sleeper berths, so that those who are too sick to sit and travel, can lie down and reach the hospital. Considering the large number of people who visit outpatients’ wards of hospitals everyday, and here I refer particularly to the government hospitals, I think this is an excellent idea. Particularly because many of them are too poor to afford an autorickshaw or a taxi and it is not easy for them to travel in crowded buses. In cities like Calcutta and Delhi, metros may provide a better alternative, but one still needs to travel from the metro station to the hospital. On the other hand, the Bangalore buses drop you right at the doorstep of the hospital. I do not know if these buses have some emergency first aid or medical aid. If not, providing them would add value to the service.

Similarly, if government hospitals were to introduce well-stocked and well-equipped mobile dispensaries, then those with minor ailments could be treated there, thereby reducing the load on government hospitals. In this age of electronic communication, even the mobile dispensaries can provide patients with an opportunity to talk to doctors at the main hospital if necessary.

I have often seen poor people who can barely afford a private clinic, preferring that to a government hospital. The reason is obvious — the serpentine queues and a long wait at the government hospitals. So mobile dispensaries can certainly make a difference to such people.

Perhaps the local public transport organisation can tie up with health departments and with some financial assistance from corporate houses if necessary, such mobile dispensaries can well work wonders.

Of course there will be many in the local civic administration or the state government who will say that this does not work, or that this was tried out and failed. But this is the age of innovation and we have to come up with ways and means of providing consumers better services, particularly in the area of health care. Remember those long citizens’ charters that government hospitals came up with several years ago, wherein they promised better protection of patients’ rights? Well, these are only some of the many ways in which one can alleviate the suffering of the patients, particularly those who are not economically well off.