Five urban health, wellness centres launched in Ranchi

Ranchi: Five urban health and wellness centres (UHWC) were inaugurated here on Thursday to ensure easy availability of primary healthcare facilities to residents of the city. Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) administrator Shashi Ranjan launched a centre at Pahan Toli, while four others were inaugurated by the local RMC representatives.

Ranjan said more such centres would come up here soon.

As many as 24 UHWCs are proposed to be opened in Ranchi under recommendations of 15th finance commission, as official said.

"Availability of land appears to be a problem for the project. Five centres were started today, most of them in community building. Rest 19 will be opened very soon depending upon the availability of land," said RMC's additional administrator Kunwar Singh Pahan.

The UHWC would be in addition to Atal Clinics. A total of 18 Atal clinics are operating in the state capital , which provides health care services for four hours a day.

The centres, which will function as normal OPD, would not only offer general check-ups, but will also conduct vaccination programmes for children and keep an eye on the health of preganant women.

The facilities would also provide several screening tests and management of mental health illness, besides detection, prevention, control and management of non-communicable diseases, Pahan said.