438 Namma Clinics to begin operations by December 15: Dr K Sudhakar
243 Namma Clinics to begin within BBMP limits, appointment of 160 doctors already completed
Bengaluru, Oct 06, 2022: A total of 438 Health and Wellness Centers or Namma Clinics are set to begin operating in Karnataka by December 15.
Out of these, 243 Namma Clinics will begin operating within BBMP limits, said Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar addressing Media personnel in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Minister Sudhakar visited the model ‘Namma Clinic’ established at Bengaluru’s Mahalakshmipuram and spoke to media personnel following the visit. Each Namma clinic will consist of a doctor, a nurse, a lab technician and a group D employee.
Minister Sudhakar told media personnel that appointment of 160 doctors have been completed and the BBMP has issued a notification to appoint the remaining doctors for the BBMP Namma Clinics. Minister Sudhakar stated that the appointments are expected to be completed by the end of this week. The appointments for all the remaining staff are completed for the 243 Namma Clinics in the BBMP limits, Minister Sudhakar said.
The program has been focused to address the healthcare needs of Urban poor, especially people falling below the poverty line and people living in huts. Each ward of the city will consist of atleast one Namma Clinic and will operate like PHCs. In addition to providing healthcare, the Namma Clinics will focus on creating awareness about government healthcare schemes.
As per the guidelines, PHCs in accordance with the population exist in rural areas. However, there aren’t enough government healthcare centers in urban areas to cater to the population. Hence, this new scheme has been launched.
The Karnataka government under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai and the Union government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have provided complete support for the new initiative. BBMP currently has a total of 198 wards which may increase in the future. We have sanctioned additional Clinics so as to ensure one clinic per ward in case of expansion.
The Namma Clinics are being established in government buildings and rented buildings which have an area of 1000-1200 Sq.ft. The government will incur a cost of Rs 138 crore to maintain the staff each year. We have also incurred a non recurring cost of Rs 17.52 crore to establish the Namma Clinics. Totally, we have incurred a cost of Rs.155 crore as of now. Namma Clinics will also create awareness about Yoga, Pranayama, Dhyana and food habits at the clinics, Minister Sudhakar said.
Tomorrow’s meeting
For 16 years, GVK has been the service provider for the government ambulance service. As per the agreement, GVK is supposed to pay the ambulance personnel. We from the government have been paying GVK. In case GVK hasn’t been paying the ambulance personnel, a meeting consisting of all the stakeholders will be held tomorrow. The officials have already discussed the matter and informed me that the problem will be solved within a week. We have also provided instructions that this issue should in no way cause problems to citizens.
The ambulance tender will be completed within two months and it will be decided who the new ambulance provider will be. The company that was the service provider earlier has been functioning since 2008. However, the service has not been satisfactory. The government has initiated a new project to ensure quality ambulance services.
The committees that had been formed to look into the bike ambulance initiative have opined that there is no need for bike ambulances. Hence, there is no mention of a bike ambulance in the new tender document. The government however intends to start air ambulance services to transport organs for transplant and patients. The details for this are yet to be finalized, Minister Sudhakar said.
The campaign to screen non-communicable diseases is underway. We are trying to create awareness among people who are over 30 years of age to get tested for non-communicable diseases. I have discussed and instructed Food Safety Officials to gather information about the ‘nutritional supplements’ used in gyms. If they don’t have the necessary quality and certifications, strict measures will be taken against those selling them, Minister Sudhakar said.
