Tamil Nadu CM launches 500 Urban Health and Wellness Centres

The UHWCs, intended to function as ancillary units of Urban Primary Health Centres, are located in areas under civic bodies such as corporations including the Greater Chennai Corporation and municipalities.

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Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Vellore were among the regions where the services could be availed, an official release here said.

Each UHWC was set up at a cost of Rs 25 lakh and in total, Rs 125 Crore is the cost of the initiative to set up the 500 new facilities.

A doctor, nurse, health inspector and a sanitary worker would be on duty in every UHWC, which would work between 8 AM to noon and from 4 PM to 8 PM to cater to about 25,000 people in a given area.

Totally, 500 doctors, as many nurses, health inspectors and sanitary workers have been appointed. The UHWCs would offer a wide range of healthcare services including maternity care and yoga.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian, Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and top officials participated.

As per a media report in The Hindu, the newly established centres would provide a wide range of primary health care services, covering maternal health, neonatal and infant health, adolescent health, family planning, management of communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases, basic ophthalmic, ENT and oral health, elderly and palliative health care, emergency medical care and mental health.

Twelve comprehensive primary health care services shall be provided to a defined population of 20,000 to 25,000 from 8 a.m. to noon and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m at the Urban Health and Wellness Centres (UHWCs).

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