BENGALURU: Almost two months after Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced that around 100 Namma Clinics would be operational from 12 pm to 8 pm in the city, the BBMP has only identified 29 clinics yet. None of them are functional during this time, and are expected to become operational soon.
The health minister’s decision came in the wake of a controversy that was sparked after his visit to the AAP government’s ‘Mohalla Clinics’ in Delhi on August 4. He had announced extending the timings of ‘Namma Clinics’ the following day. He had also termed the ‘Mohalla Clinics’ ‘overhyped’. During his announcement, Rao had explained that he recommended changing the time from 12 pm to 8 pm, allowing patients to visit after completing their daily chores.
Currently, Namma Clinics are open from 9 am to 4 pm. BBMP had not received any official communication from the state government till early September with regard to changing the timings for certain Namma Clinics. BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Dr KV Thrilok Chandra, said, “In the first phase, we have identified 29 Namma Clinics across Bengaluru to be made operational from 12 pm to 8 pm. A timeline is not set as of now, but is expected to become operational soon.”
Previously, BBMP Chief Health Officer AS Balasundar highlighted the manpower shortage in the healthcare system, which makes it difficult to extend time across all 243 clinics in the city. He said that the manpower needs to be doubled to ensure all clinics function smoothly.