From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Dec 12: The state government will be simultaneously launching 114 Namma Clinics in all districts on December 14 at 11am, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar announced in Bengaluru on Monday, December 12.
Addressing a news conference, he said chief minister Basavaraj Bommai will be launching the Namma Clinics in Bengaluru and simultaneously they will be opened in the other districts too.
The launch of 114 Namma Clinics is part of the government’s plans to have a total 438 such clinics, all of which will be started by the end of January 2023, the minister said.
These clinics are targeted at providing primary healthcare services to vulnerable sections of the society especially slum dwellers, daily wage workers and other economically weaker sections of society.
In the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits as many as 243 Namma Clinics will be started by the second week of January, he said explaining that each of the clinics will cover a population of 10,000 to 20,000 and they will be a big boon to the urban poor and labourers.
Dr Sudhakar said the Namma Clinics will be offering 12 types of health services and each of the clinics will have a medical officer, nursing staff, laboratory technician and D Group employees. They will be offering 12 kinds of services including Pregnancy, postnatal, neonatal Care, Childhood and Adolescent care, Universal Immunization Services, Family Welfare, Contraceptive, Infectious Disease Management, Common and Minor Ailment care, Diabetes, Blood Pressure management, Chronic Diseases, oral ailments etc.
Free referrals will also be given to other hospitals for ailments that needs tertiary care such as breast and uterine cancer, eye examination amongst others, Minister Sudhakar said.
Elderly care, emergency medical services, health check-ups and medicines will be completely free besides 14 lab tests, tele-consultation services, wellness activities will also be available free of cost at Namma clinics.
The Namma Clinics will be working from 9 am to 4.30 pm from Monday to Saturday with Sunday as a holiday, the minister said pointed out that opening of over 100 clinics simultaneously on a single day is a record.
Dr Sudhakar said the government is spending Rs 150 crore on the project and the Namma Clinics will be functioning in government buildings. As many as 300 doctors have been appointed exclusively for the clinics, though there were shortages of doctors in some places for which alternative arrangements will be made.
The district-wise break-up of the new Namma Clinics is: Bagalkot 18, Ballary 11, Vijayangar 6, Belagavi I 21, Bengaluru Rural 9, Bidar 6, Chamarajanagar 3, Chikkamagaluru 4, Chitradurga 1, Dakshina Kannada 12, Davangere 1, Dharwad 6, Gadag 11, Hassan 5, Haveri 5, Kalaburgi 11, Kodagu 1, Kolar 3, Koppala 3, Mandya 4, Mysuru 6, Raichur 8, Ramanagara 3, Tumakuru 10, Udupi 10, Uttara Kannada 10, Vijayapura 10, Yadgir 3 and 243 under BBMP limits.