BENGALURU: The departments of Medical Education and Health and Family Welfare have urged government and private medical colleges to adopt taluk hospitals, community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) to offer specialist healthcare services.
In a circular, they stated that each medical college should adopt one CHC or PHC. The move is aimed at addressing the shortage of specialist doctors at taluk-level healthcare facilities and prevent patients from traveling to district hospitals and medical colleges for specialised treatment.
The adopted facilities should offer specialist services in healthcare, including gynaecology, anaesthesia, paediatrics and orthopaedics. Medical colleges should deploy consultants, senior residents, postgraduate residents and medical officers on a daily, weekly, twice-a-week or monthly rotational basis, depending on the requirement.
They should offer fixed-day specialist OPD services. A monthly schedule should be prepared in advance so that patients can be identified and registered before the specialists’ visit. ASHA and other health workers’ services could be utilised.
The circular stated that the initiative is expected to improve access to specialist healthcare, strengthen existing healthcare infrastructure and reduce overcrowding at district hospitals. The two departments will have agreements with medical colleges to implement this initiative.