Opening of 57 Ayushmati Clinics in Bengaluru, exclusive for women, delayed

BENGALURU: The Health Department opened 108 ‘Namma Clinics’ in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits recently. Now, it is all set to launch 128 Ayushmati Clinics in all eight zones, which will be exclusively for women and a total of 57 clinics were set to begin service this month. As per the Health Department’s circular, these clinics were supposed to open on March 17, but the inauguration has now been postponed.

Dr Sanghamitra Krishnamurthy, City Programme Management Officer for NHRM, said, “We will have specialists at these clinics which will function from 9 am to 4 pm. Issues related to menstruation, mental health, Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs)  or sexually transmitted diseases, cardio-vascular disease, chronic diseases, pregnant women and children, cancer and other health issues that are mostly seen in women will be treated in these clinics. Pregnant women will also be counselled with regards to their diet, nutrition and personal hygiene.

Dr Sanghamitra, City Programme Management Officer said Ayushmati Clinic will be exclusively for women at the UPHCs.

She said the official date for inauguration was March 17 as per the circular, but added, “We are waiting for the directions from Rajani, State Nodal officer for NUHM. Everything is ready. The pending work will be completed in two days. A room with all facilities in Urban Primary Health Centres, is reserved exclusively for women’s treatment. At the Ayushmati Clinics, curtains, bedsheets and everything will be completely pink in colour”.

The Namma Clinics have been started in 105 of the 243 wards under the BBMP, and preparations are being made to launch the rest in a week. Meanwhile, the Ayushmati Clinic is being started under National Health Campaign scheme by the state government with the aim of providing exclusive healthcare services to women, she added.

Of the 141 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in BBMP limits, Ayushmati Clinics are being started in 57 of them in the first phase. All necessary preparations have already been made, including infrastructure. The Ayushmati Clinic will start operations by the end of March, Dr Sanghamitra added.

Physicians, ophthalmologists, gynaecologists and obstetricians, ENT specialists, paediatrists and dermatologists will be recruited on a consultancy basis. The government is providing Rs 1.60 lakh for every clinic for providing infrastructure facilities. Doctors and other staff will be given honorary wages and salaries by the government. The Palike is spending Rs 93 crore to set up the exclusive women’s clinics, she explained.