BBMP's 'Atal Arogya Vahini' to create health awareness

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will soon launch the ‘Atal Arogya Vahini’ initiative, a four-wheeler generating visual displays to create awareness about various health issues for which Rs 1.50 crore has been set aside.

The four-wheeler will make rounds across the City displaying visuals relating to health education and preventive medicine to sensitise people about health-related issues. 

“The vehicle will display information about various issues like maintaining hygiene, cancer related details, causes of infectious diseases and their prevention, cardiac diseases, hypertension and other general health aspects,” explained Dr Shivaprasad, Chairman, Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, BBMP. 

“This move is aimed at preventing the disease rather than look for a cure. It will also address and educate people about public health issues such as malnutrition,” he added.     Target areas 

A vehicle with a team of one doctor, a health worker and a staff nurse will be on rounds in all the eight zones of the City. The main focus is to target the economically weaker sections and slums where the need to impart knowledge is high, pointed out Dr Shivaprasad. 

He added that the ‘Atal Arogya Vahini’ would focus on one area at a time on a rotation basis. 

“A doctor will visit these areas once a week and a primary check up will be conducted. On other days, a health worker will accompany the driver,” he said.

Doctors will address various queries, do a primary screening and in a few cases, primary treatment will given and they will be referred to other hospitals if need be, Shivaprasad added.    
   Tenders to be invited    

The BBMP will soon invite tenders for this initiative that is to be out in less than a year’s time. Doctors presently working for the BBMP will be a part of the same. However, if required, more doctors will be hired. “Private doctors are also welcome to join hands,” he concluded. 

Under the new BBMP budget, two referral hospitals at Guttahalli and Siddaiah Road are set to be upgraded to 24-hour multi-speciality hospitals at a cost of Rs 5 crore each. Also, modern facilities would be provided at BBMP general hospitals, maternity homes and six referral hospitals with the participation of private medical colleges on public private partnership basis.