Fifty Ayushmati Clinics, which are dedicated clinics for women, were launched across all eight BBMP zones on Monday. Specialists will be available here for consultation.
According to a press release from the BBMP, a physician, orthopedician, surgeon, paediatrician, gynaecologist, or ENT specialist/ophthalmologist/dermatologist will be available, one per day of the week at these primary health centres (PHC), except Sundays. For example, a clinic may have a physician on Monday, surgeon on Tuesday, and so on.
The clinics will offer free consultation, lab tests, medicine, referral services, and wellness activities like yoga and meditation.
Ayushmati Clinics don’t use new buildings. Rather, a room in the existing PHCs are painted pink and repurposed for this.
“The clinics will offer privacy to female patients, and also provide all services for different age groups, from children to older people,” said Dr Balasundar, Chief Health Officer, BBMP.
As per the list shared by the Palike, only 10 out of the 50 clinics have one doctor every day of the week as of now. Most have doctors four to five days of the week only.
Dr Balasundar said that the criteria for the launch was to have at least three to four doctors per clinic, and that vacancies will be filled in another 10 days.
Several doctors are offering services in multiple clinics as well, over different days of the week.
Rs 200 per patient
The doctors have been appointed on contract basis, with a remuneration of Rs 200 per patient, Dr Balasundar said. They come from both the private and public sectors.
The PHCs are supposed to display the list of doctors outside, and also create awareness in the community.
Thirty of the clinics are spread across the three core BBMP zones — 11 in South, 10 in East, and nine in West.
Six were opened in Mahadevapura Zone, five in Yelahanka, and three each in RR Nagar, Bommanahalli and Dasarahalli.
Seven other Ayushmati Clinics that have been approved in the BBMP limits may open in another week, Dr Balasundar said.