- Tamil Nadu unveils mobile health units for large-scale women’s NCD assessments
- A swift 10-minute workflow covers counselling, history checks, blood tests, and ECG scans
- Mobile units in every district will screen women aged 30+ for cancer, chronic diseases, and major health organs
Tamil Nadu is implementing mobile diagnostic vehicles to screen women for major non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, setting a new standard in the delivery of public healthcare. In order to deliver reports within a day, each vehicle will be manned by a small clinical team consisting of a nurse, radiographer, and health worker. The team will be in direct coordination with labs and doctors. The efficient 10-minute screening covers counselling, patient history, essential blood tests, and ECG evaluation.
Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced that every district will soon be equipped with a dedicated mobile unit. The program will cover screenings for diabetes, cancer, hypertension, cholesterol, and major heart, liver, and kidney conditions for women above 30. According to the Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Project, there will be 1,00,097 cancer cases in 2025, which is almost 30% more than in 2021.
The device which was acquired through the Women’s Wellness on Wheels program, combines AI-enabled ECG capabilities with mammography. Currently, at the state-run Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital, only a small fraction-under 5%, of cases are detected in early stages, while over 50% present at stages three or four. Survivals for some cancers is under 30%, largely due to delayed diagnosis, explained Dr. S. Saravanan, who heads the Kancheepuram facility.
It was a pattern that women were guided, informed, and invited for screening at local health facilities, yet participation remained low. In response, the state will augment existing invitation-based programmes with mobile medical units that bring high-end diagnostics closer to communities. Roughly 60% of women stayed away due to fear, stigma, and work-related constraints, said Dr. Jayashree J, State Nodal Officer for Cancer Care.
