CHC Nancowry Team Enhances Healthcare Delivery During Outreach Visit to Katchal

Katchal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands – July 3, 2025 — In a concerted effort to improve healthcare accessibility in remote island communities, a medical team from the Community Health Centre (CHC) Nancowry conducted a comprehensive outreach visit to Katchal Island, focusing on service delivery, field assessments, and community engagement.

The initiative, part of the ongoing public health strengthening program in the Nicobar district, aimed to bridge critical gaps in primary healthcare and assess infrastructural and service-level needs in one of the most geographically isolated parts of the Union Territory.

During the multi-day visit, the CHC Nancowry team:

• Organized general health check-ups, maternal and child health consultations, and immunization drives.
• Distributed essential medicines and health kits to underserved households.
• Conducted field assessments of sub-centres and anganwadi facilities to evaluate service readiness and infrastructure.
• Engaged with local tribal leaders and health workers to understand community-specific health challenges and gather feedback.

The team also reviewed referral mechanisms, availability of emergency transport, and the functionality of cold chain systems for vaccine storage.

The outreach comes amid ongoing concerns over the shortage of specialist doctors in the Nancowry group of islands, particularly in fields such as gynecology, pediatrics, and ophthalmology. Residents often face the burden of traveling to Port Blair for even basic specialist consultations, a challenge that the administration is working to address through scheduled specialist visits and telemedicine integration.

Local leaders, including members of the tribal council, welcomed the initiative and reiterated the need for regular outreach programs and permanent deployment of medical specialists in the region.

The Directorate of Health Services has expressed its commitment to expanding outreach services across the Nicobar district. Plans are underway to:

• Enhance mobile medical units with diagnostic capabilities.
• Digitize patient records for better continuity of care.
• Train local health workers in preventive and promotive care.

The CHC Nancowry team’s visit to Katchal underscores the importance of community-based healthcare delivery in remote island territories and reflects a growing emphasis on equity, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity in public health planning.