Karnataka: Govt to set up 438 Namma Clinics

Bengaluru: Karnataka Cabinet has given administrative approval of Rs 103.73 crore for the setting up of 438 Urban Health and Wellness Centres (U-HWCs) called "Namma Clinic" across the State and for the appointment of doctors, nurses and staff for their functioning.

They are being set up to control contagious diseases and ease the load on the existing hospitals.

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"We have permitted the start of 438 U-HWCs called Namma Clinic in Karnataka that we had announced in the budget under the 15th Finance Commission grants. Accordingly, we have given sanction for appointment of 438 doctors, an equal number of nurses and second division clerk," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting here, he said the clinics would be started in every urban local body area and all wards of Bengaluru city.

"Recurring expenditure for each centre we expect- under BBMP to be Rs 36.45 lakh and at other places, it will be Rs 34.46 lakh…the appointments will be on a temporary basis…we have given administrative approval of Rs 103.73 crore for this," he added.

In response to a question, the Minister said the monsoon session of the State legislature is likely to be convened next month.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that everyone would be provided with a Health ID, under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, also a comprehensive registry of all the doctors, starting from the super specialists to the general doctors, would be collected.

He pitched for a positive partnership with private hospitals as part of the mission to devise an appropriate health system by ensuring private hospitals share the information on patients. 

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