Sterlite Tech’s Mobile Medical Unit Initiative

We discuss the following topics in this blog:

1. How STL’s MMU has Changed Lives?
2. Is Accessibility to Healthcare Still a Major Issue?

In addition to these topics, we shall also be answering the following FAQs:

1. What is WiFi?
2. What is an Optical Fibre Cable?

How STL’s MMU has Changed Lives?

Sterlite Tech’s Mobile Medical Unit initiative has so far covered over 2,00,000 patients, and successfully reduced instances of diseases by 34%.

Every day a doctor and a nurse get ready for a longer journey on a muddy road. Today it will be a ten-kilometer stretch reaching to a disconnected village through a mobile medical unit which is always ready to come for help.

The nurse is making a final check on medicine stock including Jagali and Rahul’s diabetes and Rangali’s scabies. The doctor is checking the equipment and the driver of the mobile van makes sure the team is ready to go.

The life of people in villages of Silvassa, Dadar and Nagar has changed considerably in the last few years due to medical attention provided by Sterlite Technologies, through mobile health unit.

Is Accessibility to Healthcare Still a Major Issue?

In India, inaccessibility to proper health care and absence of medical facilities, poorly connected villages and limited mode of transport was a huge problem. Lack of health facilities in villages, awareness and proper information has always been a key contributor in deteriorating the health of innocent villagers. Without good health, the potential for any community to sustain reduces drastically.

Through bumpy rides on muddy roads, Sterlite Tech’s Mobile Medical Unit reaches the village.

The Sarpanch as always makes sure that all the people who need the doctor are available and the villagers also make necessary arrangements for the medical checkup.

Sterlite Technologies’ primes focus is to provide quality healthcare to people living in remote areas and financially weaker sections who are deprived of basic healthcare. The MMU ensures that a regular healthcare assistance reaches the people living in the interiors of Maharashtra. Free check-ups and medicines, and regular awareness sessions have educated the tribal of hygiene and the importance of a healthy body. Those in need of advanced medical attention are shifted to the city hospital.

Climate change and change of seasons always bring a crisis in medical attention. Every monsoon brings an increase in cases of malaria. After every climate change, the instances of viral fever rise. The heat and dust cause eye and throat infection. Every winter increases the cases of throat infection and pneumonia. Awareness sessions conducted by Sterlite Tech have helped the villagers to act timely on any health problems. A large emphasis is given on maintaining hygiene in the village and in the households. The teachers are also motivated to speak about the importance of health and hygiene in the classroom.

Each day the Mobile Medical Unit covers 4 villages and operates 26 days in a month. So far, the initiative has covered over 2,00,000 patients and has successfully reduced instances of diseases by 34%. The villagers have the satisfaction of their health being taken cared by Sterlite Technologies’ Mobile Medical Unit; and the company has the satisfaction that they are doing something tangible for the greater good of the society.

FAQs

What is WiFi?

Put simply, WiFi is a technology that uses radio waves to create a wireless network through which devices like mobile phones, computers, printers, etc., connect to the internet. A wireless router is needed to establish a WiFi hotspot that people in its vicinity may use to access internet services. You’re sure to have encountered such a WiFi hotspot in houses, offices, restaurants, etc.

To get a little more technical, WiFi works by enabling a Wireless Local Area Network or WLAN that allows devices connected to it to exchange signals with the internet via a router. The frequencies of these signals are either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bandwidths. These frequencies are much higher than those transmitted to or by radios, mobile phones, and televisions since WiFi signals need to carry significantly higher amounts of data. The networking standards are variants of 802.11, of which there are several (802.11a, 802.11b, 801.11g, etc.).

What is an Optical Fibre Cable?

An optical fibre cable is a cable type that has a few to hundreds of optical fibres bundled together within a protective plastic coating. They help carry digital data in the form of light pulses across large distances at faster speeds. For this, they need to be installed or deployed either underground or aerially. Standalone fibres cannot be buried or hanged so fibres are bunched together as cables for the transmission of data.

This is done to protect the fibre from stress, moisture, temperature changes and other externalities. There are three main components of a optical fibre cable, core (It carries the light and is made of pure silicon dioxide (SiO2) with dopants such as germania, phosphorous pentoxide, or alumina to raise the refractive index; Typical glass cores range from as small as 3.7um up to 200um), Cladding (Cladding surrounds the core and has a lower refractive index than the core, it is also made from the same material as the core; 1% refractive index difference is maintained between the core and cladding; Two commonly used diameters are 125µm and 140µm) and Coating (Protective layer that absorbs shocks, physical damage and moisture; The outside diameter of the coating is typically either 250µm or 500µm; Commonly used material for coatings are acrylate,Silicone, carbon, and polyimide).

An optical fibre cable is made up of the following components: Optical fibres – ranging from one to many. Buffer tubes (with different settings), for protection and cushioning of the fibre. Water protection in the tubes – wet or dry. A central strength member (CSM) is the backbone of all cables. Armoured tapes for stranding to bunch the buffer tubes and strength members together. Sheathing or final covering to provide further protection.

The five main reasons that make this technology innovation disruptive are fast communication speed, infinite bandwidth & capacity, low interference, high tensile strength and secure communication. The major usescases of optical fibre cables include intenet connectivity, computer networking, surgery & dentistry, automotive industry, telephony, lighting & decorations, mechanical inspections, cable television, military applications and space.