State Health Transport Organisation
Historical Background/Periodical Development
State Health Transport Organisation was established in the year 1962–63 by the Government on the recommendations made by Government of India and UNICEF.

The main reasons for establishing the State Health Transport Organisation was to maintain and repair the vehicles of Health Department. This was necessary, because, the vehicles of the Health Department are supplied to the Primary Health Centres, Rural Hospitals, Cottage Hospitals and other health institutions located in the remote and terrain areas where local facilities for maintenance and repairs of vehicles were not available.

Now a days though local facilities for maintain and repairs of vehicles are available at most of Areas the mobile maintenance units at District level and static workshops at three places are established by these organization for quick and instant repairs of vehicles to keep them on–road day to day and to insure reliable services of the same to the patient and the concerned staff.

Objectives of State Health Transport Organisation

1. To provide efficient, economical and prompt mobility in order to implement various health programmes.
2. To maintain minimum percentage of off road vehicles.
3. To increase the life of vehicles by carrying out preventive maintenance.
4. To repair vehicles promptly and economically.
5. To procure tyre, tube, batteries, spare parts etc on DGS&D/CSPO rate contracts or directly from manufacturers, their authorised dealers or as per the Government laid down procedure.
6. To purchase new/replacement vehicles as per need and their distribution.
7. To condemn and dispose off the old, unuseful scrap, vehicles,tyres,tubes, batteries, spare parts etc. after its useful life is completed.
8. To impart training to the technical staff of SHTO, drivers, vehicle users, Technicians and end users of all hospital and cold chain equipments.
9. To carry out prompt and economical repairs to hospital equipment sand cold chain equipments.
10. To monitor the vehicles
11. To render the technical guidance and help relating to vehicles, hospital and cold chain equipments.
12. To take prompt action on accidents and matters related to Motor Vehicle Act. etc.

Strategy

1. The programme is functioning in three tier system i.e. from Mobile Maintenance Workshops at District level to Regional Workshops at Regional level to State H.Q. Implementation of the programme is monitored through Health Management Information System regularly in every month.
2. Minor repairs of the vehicles are carried out by the Mobile Maintenance Workshops in the districts. Preventive maintenance of the vehicles are carried out at the H.Q. of the vehicle at PHC or Rural Hospital level.
3. Major repairs including reconditioning of vehicles are carried out in the Central Static Workshop and Regional Workshops.
4. Procurement of tyres, tubes, batteries, spare parts are made by the Central Store and as per the need they will be distributed amongst the workshops and users.

Activities of State Health Transport Organisation
Work Load
To Maintain, repair and monitor all vehicles of Health Department in the entire state.These vehicles are plying in rural, hilly, costal and urban areas.They also ply on kachha,murum tar and metal roads.

Head Quarter

• Vehicle monitoring, administration and policy matters and related matters.
• To monitor the vehicles, to render technical guidance/help, to arrange training of vehicle drivers, vehicle users and technical staff, to condemn and dispose off the vehicles, tyre, tube, batteries, spare parts, equipments etc.
• To visit, inspect the regional workshops and mobile maintenance units.
• Vehicle purchase, registration and distribution etc

Central Stores
To procure economically vehicle spares, tyres, tubes, batteries etc. from the companies/firms on DGS&D/CSPO rate contracts or directly from vehicle manufacturers or O.E. manufacturers or their authorized dealers/distributors or as per the prevailing rules laid down by the Govt.

To maintain the adequate stock of spares, tyres, tubes, batteries etc. in order to avoid the emergencies.

Central Static Workshop
To attend all types of repairs including reconditioning and to maintain the vehicles located at H.Q. i.e. Pune.

Regional Workshops
To attend the repairs of major nature.

Mobile Maintenance Units
To maintain and attend to the minor repairs of the vehicles.
To attend enroute breakdown.