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PMC starts Maha’s first Model Immunisation Centre at Kamala Nehru Hospital
The centre boasts infrastructure, services and facilities on par with private healthcare facilities, officials said
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has started Maharashtra’s first ever Model Immunisation Centre (MIC) at Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH) Pune. The centre boasts infrastructure, services and facilities on par with private healthcare facilities, officials said on Friday.
The MIC at KNH is the first-of-its-kind immunisation centre in the state under the Momentum Routine Immunisation Transformation and Equity (MRITE) project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with Saathi. Started on May 6 on a trial basis, the MIC will be fully operational from Monday. The MIC in Pune is among only six such centres that will be started in the country.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, city immunisation officer, PMC, said that the centre has facilities, hygiene and services on par with any other healthcare facility in the city. “The overall experience of the citizens and beneficiaries is different at the centre. If the model becomes successful, we will replicate it in other immunisation centres of the PMC,” he said.
The PMC has restructured the MIC to improve the flow of walk-in beneficiaries. The centre now has a dedicated immunisation area with cold chain storage and management, as well as separate waiting areas pre- and post-vaccination. Additionally, there are extra facilities such as a play area, breastfeeding area, and multiple information and awareness signs to ensure the citizens’ convenience.
Dr Dighe said that all national immunisation and routine programmes for children, adolescents and expecting mothers will be carried out at the centre. “The MIC is ambient and child-friendly to create a positive atmosphere among children during immunisation. The breastfeeding area for mothers is to fulfil the nutritional needs of infants as they wait for immunisation services,” he said.
Dr Bhagwan Pawar, health officer of the PMC, urged citizens to avail the benefits of the centre and get their children vaccinated. “The MIC is an ideal centre in any government setup of the state. All staff working at the centre have undergone training and we have dedicated staff at the centre for immunisation. We have carried out absolute capacity building of the centre to make it an MIC,” he said.
