HUBBALLI: While virtually dedicating 114 ‘Namma Clinics’, urban healthcare and wellness centres, to the public from Hubballi on Wednesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said services provided in these centres would be upgraded with additional funding to help people of poorer sections avail of the best emergency and primary treatments.
Stating that 437 ‘Namma Clinics’ would be started by January-end, Bommai expressed concern over poor people’s inability to get super special and emergency treatment as these services were too costly, especially in private hospitals. “Poverty should not come in the way of availing basic healthcare, so the government has decided to open Namma Clinics.
The greatest challenge before the health sector and scientific world is to provide affordable healthcare service to the poor, using new technologies and medicines,” the CM said.
Stating that the products and processes emerging from innovations should not be restricted to the rich, Bommai appealed to health experts, scientists and doctors to innovate on medicine and equipment, which should also be of use to the poor.
The state government has been taking adequate measures to fortify public health infrastructure by allocating funds and running several healthcare programmes, he said. “In selected 110 taluks, greater emphasis has been given to universal health, woman and child health in particular,” he added.
Bommai said the government is engaged in upgrading taluk hospitals to 100-bed facilities and upgrading the existing 100 primary health centres to community health centres with 30 beds, and opening 47 new primary health centres in Kalyana Karnataka region.
Daily dialysis cycles carried out by public health institutions have doubled to 60,000, 12 chemotherapy centres are functional for the poor, and 1,000 more Janaushadi Kendras will be added to the existing 1,250 centres, Bommai said.
Stating that the government would hold eye check-up camps in January for senior citizens and if necessary, provide free surgeries, the chief minister asked health officials to conduct checkups for every child to find out whether they are underweight, stunted or suffering from malnutrition and paediatric complications.
AYUSHMATI CLINICS FOR WOMEN ON THE ANVIL: DR SUDHAKAR
Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said the government is planning to start Ayushmati Clinics, exclusively for women, by January next year.
Taking part in the virtual launch of 114 Namma Clinics here on Wednesday, Sudhakar said that dedicating many healthcare units at one go was a record of sorts for any government, and a historic moment for the state’s public healthcare service.
The minister advocated a health checkup for every person over 30 years of age, to identify any health complication or find out whether they are suffering from any illness. Treating a disease at the primary level itself will help control it, he said, and added that Namma Clinics would be handy in catering to such needs.
Stating that the state government has adopted several innovative ideas to provide affordable healthcare, Sudhakar said that from next month, medicine for the poor suffering from diabetes, blood pressure and tuberculosis, would be provided at their doorstep.