Six ‘Namma Clinics’ ready to treat patients in Mysuru

They are likely to become functional once the Statewide launch of the initiative was done

The newly-established Namma Clinic at H.D. Kote Handpost in Mysuru district. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

·        The clinics to function in Hootagalli, Srirampura and Yaraganahalli (Rammanahalli) in Mysuru city; K R Nagar, T Narsipur and H D Kote Handpost

·        The initiative, on the lines of Centre’s Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs), is expected to ease pressure on existing public healthcare facilities in urban and semi-urban areas

special / / / / PHOTO UPLOADED

Shankar Bennur

All six Namma Clinics in Mysuru district are now ready to treat patients but they would become fully operational only after the formal Statewide launch of the initiative in Bengaluru.

In total, 438 such clinics were proposed in the State and such clinics were intended to provide basic healthcare services to the urban poor, slum-dwellers and lower income groups. The clinics would refer advanced treatment, if necessary, to specialists in government hospitals.

Namma Clinics have been modelled on lines of the Centre’s Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs). The doctors and nursing staff are roped in on contract basis for running the clinics aimed to ease the burden on existing healthcare facilities in urban and semi-urban areas.

Such clinics are mostly located in areas which have a population of 30,000 to 50,000. The unreached populations – who used to get treatment in private clinics or nursing homes – will be attended to, providing them free primary healthcare.

Hootagalli, Srirampura, and Yaraganahalli, all in Mysuru city; H.D. Kote Handpost in H.D. Kote taluk; T Narsipur, and K.R. Nagar town are the places where the clinics have been set up.

District Health Officer K H Prasad told The Hindu: “The clinics are ready and we are awaiting instructions from the government on dedicating the new facilities. The doctors and staff for running the clinics have been appointed (on contract basis) and infrastructure is also ready.”

The Namma Clinics in ULBs were announced in the budget under the 15^th Finance Commission. Each clinic will have a medical officer, a nurse and a clerical staff.

Dr. Prasad said the location of the clinics in Mysuru were selected after going through various factors. Though three clinics will be situated in the city, they will actually function in town panchayats – Hootagalli, Srirampura and Rammanahalli – serving the local populations. Such clinics can help ease pressure on existing healthcare institutions as they can extend services for non-communicable diseases, fever and other ailments.

The DHO said the clinics have been carefully positioned so that they can be easily accessed by the nearby populations as one such clinic has come up close to the Outer Ring Road (ORR).

In most places, the clinics function in rented premises. The rent can go up to a maximum of ₹50,000 a month and the salary for the medical officer has been fixed.