Opening of more Namma Clinics delayed as NEET exam approaches

BENGALURU: The BJP government’s ambitious Namma Clinic project seems to have hit a hurdle in Bangaluru as opening of the remaining clinics is getting delayed. The Namma Clinics have started at 114 places across the state in the second week of December. But the implementation of the project has been affected due to lack of space and staff in the city.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has allocated space for the clinics, but it is not getting eligible medical staff. The civic body is recruiting medical staff on contract basis, but MBBS graduates are not willing to work at Namma Clinics, posing a big challenge for the BBMP.

Palike Special Commissioner (health) Thrilok Chandra has written a letter to the government to provide better facilities and to allow students pursuing medical courses under the government quota to work in the Namma Clinic for one year and to allocate physicians who have completed their medical course. The government responded to the request and promised to provide doctors.

BBMP Special Commissioner Thrilok Chandra has written a letter to the government on recruiting doctors for Namma Clinics.

Apart from this, the NEET exam is also hindering the recruitment process as medical graduates are preparing for it and are not not too keen to work in Namma Clinics. Hence, the BBMP is planning to recruit graduates who studied under the government quota and launch the remaining Namma Clinics by the end of January.

To a question on recruitment for Namma Clinics, Thrilok Chandra said, “We decided earlier to launch 108 Namma Clinics in the first phase. We have asked the government to recruit 150 doctors after counselling under the compulsory government service. They should work for one year. Based on that, every year, new batches will be appointed. Responding to our request, the government is conducting counselling this week. We will fix a date of launching of the clinics soon”.