BENGALURU: Taking a cue from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s mohalla clinics in Delhi, the Karnataka Government is all set to start free health centres in Bengaluru under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). To be called Janarogya Kshema Kendras, these centres will mainly cater to the urban poor and will be managed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Currently, Bengaluru has 141 primary health centres (PHCs) in 141 wards. There are no PHCs in the remaining 57 wards and the proposed centres will come up there. Speaking to TNIE, Dr Prabhu Gowda, Nodal Officer, NUHM, Karnataka, said each health centre will have a medical officer, a nurse, a lab technician, a pharmacist and a Group D employee.
BBMP has started the recruitment process and the centres are expected to begin operations by second week of June. “BBMP will be the managing authority. These kendras will be set up on the premises of ward offices or any other government building. If there are no government/BBMP buildings in a ward, then the civic body will take a building on rent,” Dr Gowda added.
Elaborating on the facilities at the kendras, Dr Gowda said each centre --- which will function between 9 am and 3 pm, will also have a laboratory and a pharmacy. The lab will conduct urine and blood sugar tests and a few other basic tests. “For higher treatment, the patient will be referred to the nearest government hospital,” Dr Gowda said.The kendras can be upgraded into bigger hospitals in the future, he said.