Healthcare for Trucking Community

The trucking industry represents a notable 2.5% of the most economically productive labour force. Infect these truck drivers are pilots of the Indian logistic system. Though the Indian trucking sector contributes about 4.5-5 per cent (USD 55-60 billion) of the GDP, the truckers often hail from poor families & lead miserable and socially marginalized life. The majority of school dropouts join this profession primarily as a cleaner or helpers and later learn driving to take on the role of truck driver. Most of the truckers do not own their truck and work as bonded laborers for more than 15 hours a day on the road away from their families affecting their health and quality of life. Often they have improper food on the roadside unhygienic eateries and inadequate sleep/ rest. Often to cover long distances at a stretch, the drivers take drug stimulants or alcohol to stay awake predisposing them to accidents. The paucity of good-quality highways and expressways and poor maintenance of the trucks by their owners, drug abuse, and lack of awareness about seat belt usage further adds to the accidental risks. Most highways or Trans-Shipment Locations (TSLs) lack adequate recreation and healthcare facilities thus making quality healthcare services inaccessible. Extreme stress, lack of recreational facilities, long-duration separation from families, and extreme peer pressure often predispose truck drivers to engage in high-risk unprotected sexual behaviors making them vulnerable to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), HIV/AIDS, and very often TB either as a co-infection or as an independent infection.

We run healthcare centres at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Delhi and the centre is staffed with qualified doctors, paramedics, counsellors and outreach workers, who work with the immediate community in the transhipment hubs. The programme focuses on the identification, and treatment of vision care, tuberculosis, NCDS, general, sexually transmitted diseases, and Behaviour Change Communication (BCC). A large network of peer educators, taken from the community are trained to spread awareness and enable a robust referral system across the transhipment hub. Patients are referred to the clinic by peer educators who are well-equipped for such treatment. A patient undergoes physical examination, tests and counselling followed by needed treatment – with a nominal charge of registration.

Peer Led Program

Given the geographical spread of the transhipment hub and the migrant and mobile nature of truck drivers, peer volunteers are vital links to disseminate information related to Apollo Tyres Healthcare Centre's facility. Peer Volunteers are the persons who belong to a group on an equal basis to the community but who are trained (and supervised) to bring about a change in knowledge attitudes, beliefs and behaviours at the individual level amongst his or her belonging community. Peer Volunteers are not only easily accessible but help in reaching out to the target audience at the most opportune time.

Vision testing

HIV testing

TB testing

Diabetes testing

A drastic change in health-seeking behaviour in the truckers' community. Now they approach a qualified doctor for medical treatment.