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30 health centres to get a facelift [Nashik] [Times of India]
[July 26, 2014]

30 health centres to get a facelift [Nashik] [Times of India]


(Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NASHIK: Government health facilities will now get a makeover to ensure people choose them over private clinics and hospitals. The district health office has planned to give 30 primary health centres and sub-centres a facelift by tapping the corporate social responsibility funds of private players. The aim is to not just to give a better look and feel to these hospitals, but also improve access to good healthcare in rural parts. "We have shortlisted one primary health centre and one sub centre from each of 15 talukas of the district and we will soon be announcing the development works that will be taken up there with the help of private participation," said Dr Sushil Wakchaure, district health officer (DHO). The scheme is being rolled out as part of the state's newly-launched project, Operation Kayapalat (complete transformation), which focuses on beefing up quality and delivery of healthcare services at primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and rural hospitals in each taluka. "There is a sense of touch and feel that also drives patients to health centres. Primary health centres and sub centres (SCs) have a very bad look. There are leakages, lack of proper electrical wiring, unavailability of diagnostic tools, ill-equipped operation theatres (OTs), no proper area for patients and their relatives to sit and wait. We want to change the look of these centres," said Dr Wakchaure. The officer said the government had no money to spend on the infrastructure and was hence taking the help of private organisations. "There are companies and big industrial houses that are spending considerably on CSR. We therefore decided to select PHCs and SCs that are in remote locations, where there is dire need of facilities to offer better treatment to the citizens," Dr Wakchaure said. Officials said they are looking at laying tiles, painting proper messages on boards / walls of the building, upgrading operation theatre facilities and labour rooms, maintaining cleanliness as part of the scheme. "We have asked the selected SCs and PHCs to provide us with the list of the things they require in their establishments to attract more people and offer good service. This will limit the people visiting private doctors for treatments and instead turn to government hospitals and even encourage institutional deliveries," Dr Wakchaure said. Officials said private players will be selected in a fortnight and the DHO would enter into an agreement with them for the facelift programme. Once successfully implemented, the facelift programme would be applied to other PHCs and SCs. Focus would be on improving the quality of services, said Dr Wakchaure.



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