From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Dec 21: With the Congess-led UPA regime asking the State Government to prepare a plan for implementation of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) in the 12th Five Year Plan, the Jagadish Shettar regime has decided to establish comprehensive primary health centers in all wards of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by April 2013.
''Along with the preparation of the plan for establishing comprehensive PHCs in all the BBMP wards, the State Government would submit proposals seeking Central assistance to the tune of Rs 150 to 200 core to fund the project,” State Health and Family Welfare Department Principal Secretary M Madan Gopal said and pointed out that the Government would urge the Centre to release the funds by January 2013 to roll out the plan.
Comprehensive primary health centers are equivalent to the present primary health centers (PHCs) and they would cater to all diseases of urban population, he said explaining that there would be a doctor, a laboratory, pharmacist and a counsellor for treating patients visiting centers at the ward level.
Currently, there are 92 PHCs in the city.
Services at the comprehensive primary health centers would be made available to all free of cost, he said explaining that NUHM would be gradually extended to other city corporations of the State in the next one or two years.
Under the NUHM, there would be 30 to 100 bed hospital in all 28 legislative assembly constituencies in the City and a major hospital (100 beds) in all eight zones.
At present, there are four major hospitals in four zones in the city.
Gopal said each primary care unit would cover 40,000 50,000 population.
The City’s population as per the 2011 Census was 9.59 million.
The City’s population has grown by 134 per cent during 1991-2011, making it one of the fastest growing metropolitan city.
The BBMP would be entrusted to implement the project with the support of the Health and Family Welfare Department.
The BBMP would issue health cards to the needy people. The primary heath care centers would not charge even user fee, he said.
Earlier, Health and Family Welfare Minister Aravind Limbavali and Gopal held a meeting with stakeholders and discussed the proposed health care plans for the city.