File photo of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at a Mohalla Clinic. (TOI)

INDORE: Emulating the successful Mohalla Clinics project of Delhi government , Maharashtra government has decided to provide similar basic health services to underserved population of urban areas. As part of its plan, government has marked eight locations of Indore to start the new facilities.

For the new facility, local health department has identified Jeet Nagar , Chandan Nagar , Nipania, Kanadia, Bajrang Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Bijalpur and Pancham Ki Phel as population of these localities ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 have no nearby government-run health centre to avail free medical assistance and have to visit MY Hospital, district hospital other major facilities of public sector.

Though state government is yet to finalize the proposed facility based on the concept of Mohalla Clinic, local health officials claimed that it will different from Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC).

There are 14 UPHCs operational in different localities of Indore. In this setup, there are five posts including a doctor, nurse, lab technician, ANM and dresser to offer basic package of essential health services including medicines, diagnostics, and consultation free of cost. In Indore, over half-a-dozen UPHCs is facing staff crunch and thus, people are not being provided all facilities, especially that of diagnostics.

Centre and state governments jointly contribute to bear cost of running UPHCs. But as the proposed new facility (on the concept of Mohalla clinic) will solely be set up by state government, the Congress-led government is exploring an appropriate name for it.

"State government had sought details of the area, where population ranging 20,000 to 50,000 has no public health centre in nearby localities. Based on instructions, eight areas have been identified and details have been sent to state government to set up Mohalla clinic," CMHO Dr Pravin Jadia told TOI.

On August 2, health minister Tulsiram Silawat had announced that on lines of Mohalla Clinic of Delhi, 25 primary health centres will be started in Madhya Pradesh on trial basis and based on its success, the number will be increased to 100. Initially, OPDs will be started at these centres.

