HYDERABAD: Primary healthcare for financially weaker sections in the twin cities is poised to undergo a few major changes. First of all, instead of being restricted to offering treatment to only women and children, the 65 urban health centres (UHC) here could soon be open to all.

General out-patient (OP) services, limited in-patient service with around six beds per UHC, augmented staff, some degree of diagnostic facilities and an adequate stock of medicines are all in the pipeline for these grassroot healthcare centres, which were hitherto functioning under the category of Mother and Child Centres, not to forget their perennial woes of acute scarcity of staff, drug and infrastructure.

Objective

The speed at which the revamp takes place depends on the Government's response to a proposal forwarded recently to the Health Directorate by the Hyderabad District Health authorities.

"The objective is to help mostly people living in slums and to reduce the burden on referral and secondary/tertiary care hospitals such as Gandhi Hospital, Osmania General Hospital and Fever Hospital.

It will also be easier to tackle epidemics or outbreaks if such ground-level healthcare centres are well-equipped," District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) S. Satyavathi said.

The concept of enhancing the facilities provided at urban health centres was already being experimented with an evening out-patient service at five UHCs — Parvatinagar, Aman Nagar, Karwan, Bholakpur and New Bhoiguda. The idea of upgrading UHCs in the twin cities came up following public demand for treatment facilities, she said.

"Everything from staff, infrastructure and medicine will have to be updated and upgraded for making this a reality," she said

Diagnostic facilities

"Diagnostic facilities, mostly for sputum exams or other basic diagnosis will have to be provided in at least 15 of these centres, so that we can keep a tab on an abnormal increase in any particular disease. The Family Welfare Directorate is shortly conducting a written test for auxiliary nurse and midwife (ANM) candidates, so that at least one ANM can be sent to each of the 65 centres. We are looking at the possibility of increasing the number of nurses and doctors too," the District Medical and Health Officer said.

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