Free health camp a major draw among Orissa villagers

KORAPUT - The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a state-run aeronautics firm, has set up free medical camps in the Maoist affected Orissa’s Koraput district to generate confidence among the local villagers.

Organized in Badabadi village, the camp is witnessing huge participation from the villagers, suffering from various ailments which exhibits the kind of good response it has received here.

“HAL of the Koraput division had adopted eight villages around it. This is the ninth village. Till now, the villagers of Badabadi village have been provided with free medical health facilities and we will also provide them indoor and outdoor medical health facilities, for their convenience,” said K N Bhuiyan, Deputy Chief of HAL Medical Wing.

Considering the unhygienic living conditions of the villagers, the HAL authorities decided to provide them with health cards through which they can access free medical facilities.

The villagers said the medical camp has been a boon to them as the camp has created awareness among the people about how to remain clean and healthy.

“The villagers have opened their eyes to reality and have decided to live hygienically, so that we can remain clean and free from diseases. We are happier than earlier, as we are now getting free medical health facilities,” said Mali Durlia, a villager.

HAL was established in 1964 at Sunabeda in Koraput and had adopted displaced villagers from eight displaced villages. These villages were provided with all the basic amenities like water, electricity, health and sanitation.

But Badabadi village was deprived of these facilities despite being one of the displaced villages. People of this village have long been demanding for their adoption by HAL.

In a positive development, the HAL authorities decided to adopt Badabadi and provide all the health facilities to the villagers by organizing this camp. By Sarada Lahangir (ANI)