No doctors, no nurses at Namma Clinics

BENGALURU: The much touted Namma Clinics, which were conceived on the mohalla clinic model of Delhi, have remained in a state of neglect with no doctors or staff nurses being appointed. At some of these clinics, lab technicians and Group-D employees are managing show since many days and patients are not getting proper treatment.

An exclusive report by Public TV revealed the ground reality of Namma Clinics at a time when Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who is in charge of Bengaluru development, and Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao, are pushing for ‘Brand Bengaluru’.

The state government started the Namma Clinics for the benefit of poor people, daily-wage workers and the urba poor so that they can avail treatment closer home. But no treatment is available in these clinics as there are no designated doctors or staff nurses appointed and in some places, lab technicians are managing the clinics.

The earlier government had launched 108 Namma Clinics within the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, but they are only functioning in a few places while the government is looking for sites to open more centres.

The Namma Clinic near the BBMP office in  Sampangiram Nagar has neither a doctor nor a nurse and the lab technician manages everything himself. This is the situation of one of the clinics and citizens are questioning the state of the other clinics set up in different parts of Bengaluru.

A visitor at the Sampangiram Nagar Namma Clinic said no doctor is available here. “No doctor is here even for a month. The clinic has set up just for namesake and it is a dummy clinic. A nurse hands out the medicines here”.

Another person, Someshwar, who came to consult the doctor, quoted the staff saying that the doctor was not available. “They tell me to wait for longer saying that the doctor is on his way”, he rued.

A nurse said she joined just a few days ago. “I treat patients through tele-consultation, and give out medicines based on the doctor’s recommendation decision. One more staff member will join soon”, she said.

Citizens have demanded the immediate appointment of a a full-time doctor and staff nurse at the Namma Clinics.