To improve med care, NMC to start four polyclinics in city, 11 more in pipeline

Nagpur: With a view to improve medical care for residents at their nearest urban primary health centres (UPHCs), the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has upgraded four UPHCs into polyclinics, where medical examination is done by specialists also.

“MBBS doctors from various branches like gynaecology, paediatrics, ophthalmology, dermatology and psychiatry will visit these polyclinics at least once a week and specialists from private sector too will be visiting some days a week,” said additional municipal commissioner Ram Joshi.

NMC, which recently won the prestigious National Quality Assurance Standards certification from the ministry of health and family welfare for its two UPHCs — Indora and Shanti Nagar — for excellent services, manages over 51 UPCHs under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). “NMC is not spending even a penny to upgrade the UPHCs to polyclinics as all funds are being provided under NUHM. The civic body is only providing infrastructure,” Joshi said.

The UPCHs at KT Nagar, Hiwri Nagar, Manewada and Kapil Nagar have been conveted into polyclinics. “These polyclinics will start providing the health services within a fortnight,” Joshi said.

According to Joshi, these polyclinics were started as these UPHCs were seeing a footfall of 100-150 partients. “NMC is also working on starting 11 more polyclinics across the city,” he said. Looking at the good response from citizens to the six health and wellness centres which were started earlier, NMC will open 14 more soon. As per rules, one clinic is must for a population of 20,000. “To improve reach, NMC is planning to start 93 more health and wellness centres for which the government has given in-principle approval,” said Joshi.