Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai will launch 108 Namma Clinics under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits on Tuesday, health minister K Sudhakar said on Monday.
Sudhakar said the state government has given top priority to enhancing healthcare infrastructure in the state, and Namma Clinics are heralding a new era in primary healthcare.
In December last year, the chief minister launched 100 Namma Clinics at Bairadevarakoppa in Dharwad. A total of 438 such clinics are being launched, which will aid in ensuring quality preventive and primary care for daily wagers and labourers, among others, the health minister said.
Sudhakar said each Namma Clinic would cater to 15,000-20,000 people and provide 12 services, including antenatal, postnatal care and immunisation.
“Under the National Urban Health Mission, at present, there is one primary health centre for every 50,000 population. Now, under the grants of the 15th Finance Commission, we are establishing one primary health centre to cater 15,000-20,000 population in urban areas. Out of the 438 Namma Clinics, 243 will be in BBMP, and the rest 195 will be in districts,” the minister explained.
“Namma Clinics are designed to provide universal and comprehensive primary healthcare in urban areas. Referral facilities will also be available and patients requiring higher treatment will be referred to secondary and tertiary centres. This will not only reduce the cost of treatment but will also decentralise the healthcare services,” Sudhakar said.
{{/usCountry}}“Namma Clinics are designed to provide universal and comprehensive primary healthcare in urban areas. Referral facilities will also be available and patients requiring higher treatment will be referred to secondary and tertiary centres. This will not only reduce the cost of treatment but will also decentralise the healthcare services,” Sudhakar said.
{{/usCountry}}Each Namma Clinic will have one doctor, one nursing staff, one lab technician and a D-group worker. “A total of 12 healthcare services packages will be available, including antenatal, postnatal care, adolescent care, immunisation, family planning, fertility, communicable diseases management, general and minor injuries, preventive care for NCDs, oral care, eye care, ENT, mental health, geriatric care and laboratory services. Tele-consultation, wellness activities like yoga and referral services will also be available,” the health minister said.
The clinics will be available for the public from 9 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Saturday. Each Namma Clinic is set up in a 1000sq ft area with separate space for a waiting area, OPD consultation room, immunisation ward, laboratory, yoga room, medicines counter, administrative section etc.
The healthcare push comes with just a few months to go for the assembly elections in the state.
Last month, Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi aimed a dig at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, where she said that the saffron party is promising Namma Clinics on the lines of Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics. “People do not want a copycat version of the Delhi model of governance and want the original,” she had said.