The Karnataka government will launch 114 'Namma Clinics' on December 14, aimed at providing primary healthcare services to vulnerable sections, especially the urban poor and daily wage workers. Twelve types of health services will be available at the centre, and each clinic will consist of a medical officer, a nurse, lab technician, and a Group D employee. This is a project with a total cost of Rs 150 crore, and most of the clinics will start working in government buildings. "Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will inaugurate Namma Clinics on December 14. In the initial phase, 114 clinics will be launched simultaneously across the state," Health Minister K Sudhakar said. He said the government is working to operationalise all 438 Namma Clinics across the state soon as announced earlier and all the remaining ones will be operational by January 2023.
A total of 243 of Namma Clinics will be functioning under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area, and work is underway to make them functional for public service by the second week of January, he said, adding at the least 150 clinics will surely be available for public service. Each Namma Clinic is expected to cater to a population of 10,000 to 20,000. The 12 kinds of services include pregnancy, postnatal, neonatal care, childhood and adolescent care, universal immunisation 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 need tertiary care such as breast and uterine cancer, eye examinations and others, Sudhakar said.
Elderly care, emergency medical services, health check-ups and medicines will be completely free. Fourteen lab tests, teleconsultation services, wellness activities will also be available free of cost at Namma Clinics, he added.
While 300 doctors have been appointed, there is a shortage of doctors at a few places. The minister said alternative arrangements have been made in such places and 80-100 doctors in compulsory rural service will be appointed at such places.