- Mobile Health Unit initiated in Erasama & Kujang Block
- Free check-ups & medicine in plant site
Kujang, March 19, 2007: With an objective to provide primary health services to people in its proposed plant site, POSCO-India has launched Mobile Health Units in Kujanga & Erasama blocks of Jagatsinghpur district. The health unit kicked off at Trilochanpur on March 15, 2007. The services will be available at Noliasahi today and will be extended to Nuagaon and other peripheral villages under Erasama block.
As a part of POSCO-India’s ‘Village Friendly Programme’, these mobile health units aim to offer health services to over 2500 families in villages under the proposed plant site, especially, basic health care to women and children. In addition, free medicines will be distributed and ambulance service will be provided for emergency cases round the clock.
Speaking on this new initiative, Mr. Soung-Sik Cho said, “POSCO-India is concerned about people around it and would make all possible efforts to improve the life of the locals.” He also said that the company plans to have more such health programmes in collaboration with district administration for the benefit of locals.
The governing committee in charge of management, monitoring and evaluation of the health units, comprises of locals, representatives from NGOs and PHC members. Each 11-member unit is led by an experienced doctor and has competent paramedical staff. The programme, to begin with, would continue for a month and would be extended further, considering the response. Moreover, in April, the company plans to conduct a two-day Basic Health Care Training for about 50 locals, mostly women in the area.
In the first three days of operation, about 250 people in Trilochanpur benefited out of this initiative. Among the diseases treated, local ailments such as skin disease, stomach ache, and general fever were prominent. According to Muralidhara Pradhan and Badani Jena, residents of Trilochanpur, villagers are grateful for the services rendered by the mobile health unit as there is no medical facility available in the vicinity.
POSCO-India, the Indian subsidiary of the third largest steel manufacturer in the world, has successfully organized specialized health programmes such as a cleft-lip and palate correction surgery camp at Jagatsinghpur, curing 27 children. Recently, it also sponsored a three-day district level camp for polio corrective surgery at Jagatsinghpur, in collaboration with the District Administration, where 99 children with special needs got benefited.
About POSCO-India
POSCO-India Private Limited is a subsidiary of POSCO, the world’s No. 3 steel producer and one of the most competitive steel companies. POSCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Orissa in June 2005, to set up a 12-mtpa green field steel plant near Paradip, Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa, with an estimated investment of USD12 billion. The company will build a 4 million tons capacity steel plant in Orissa, during the first phase of its project between 2007 and 2010 and expand the final production volume to 12 million tons. POSCO-India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in 25th August 2005 with the Registrar of Companies, Orissa, under the Companies Act 1956.
