Lucknow, Oct 18 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government will run 15 community healthcare centres (CHCs) in the districts, including one in Lucknow, on public private partnership (PPP) basis.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the Health portfolio, said the CHCs will have a 24-hour emergency service, free admission, medicine and diagnostic services.

Pathak said all the facilities will be ensured to patients.

"It will be a step toward ensuring better healthcare in CHCs," he said.

The selected CHCs are Nagram in Lucknow, Gajokhar in Varanasi, Khadda in Kushinagar, Belaghat in Gorakhpur, Rajapur in Chitrakoot, Malhipur in Shrawasti, Chandan Chowki CHC in Lakhimpur Kheri, Vishwarganj in Bahraich, Bhogwara in Chandauli, Adda Bazar in Maharajganj, Sukhpura in Ballia, Dapsaura in Fatehpur, Babhani in Sonebhadra, Khajuria in Balrampur and Sirsiya in Siddharth Nagar.

Pathak said: "We are hopeful that this experiment will be a step toward ensuring better healthcare facilities in CHCs and latest medical equipment will be installed there as per requirement. Orders have been issued to health officials to execute the process at the earliest."

He further directed officials to ensure that all benefits of healthcare schemes being launched by the state and Central government are passed on to the patients.