BENGALURU: The Brand Bengaluru initiative for improving healthcare facilities has received 11,000 suggestions in a month for working towards the betterment of the city’s health.
With climate change causing a rapid surge in dengue cases, along with the recent Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, experts have highlighted the need to focus on the ‘One Health Initiative’ with preventive strategies collectively focusing on human-related diseases, zoonotic diseases along with environmental factors.
Dr Ramesh Krishna K, Dean and Director, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), suggested improving the facilities in public health centres (PHC) and namma clinics to reduce the pressure on secondary and tertiary care hospitals. These centres often get burdened while dealing with basic illnesses which can be managed at the primary level. He was speaking at the panel discussion organised by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the nodal agency for the “Healthy Bengaluru” initiative of Brand Bengaluru, at Victoria Hospital on Thursday.
BBMP along with AI and Robotics Technology Park (ARTPARK) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) are strategising on building war rooms with enhanced surveillance systems while focusing on a one health approach.
Most suggestions focused on improving emergency care services, veterinary care services and overall healthcare by integrating technology and improving surveillance systems for early intervention of diseases. BBMP Special Commissioner (for Health), Dr KV Thrilok Chandra also stressed the need to identify emerging threats with a digital surveillance system and a better referral system for reducing cost of healthcare. Citing examples of countries like Singapore, Canada or even the US, Dr Thrilok said that Indian citizens need to be educated better about handling emergency situations.
Preventive healthcare is the only way to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases, doctors said. Hence, investing in facilitating PHCs and namma clinics with laboratories to conduct diagnosis, and minor operation theatres to handle minor cases will help in early intervention and reduce referral percentage to other hospitals, they added.