Health ATMs to be installed in Bengaluru’s Namma Clinics

Bengaluru: Compact ATM-sized machines will soon be set up in Namma Clinics across Bengaluru, allowing people to self-screen for non-communicable diseases and monitor over 60 health parameters.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has called for tenders to install 18 health ATMs in clinics serving middle- and low-income communities. In this pilot phase, all screenings will be free. The BBMP plans to launch the kiosks by December, with the company selected for the contract required to set them up within 30 days of receiving the supply order.

Like a bank ATM, the kiosks feature touchscreens for input and display and can check vital health parameters with tools like a 12-lead ECG, digital stethoscope, and blood pressure monitor. They’ll also include kits for testing dengue, pregnancy, typhoid, malaria, and HIV, along with contactless temperature measurement and automated height and weight readings.

Each unit costs around Rs 10 lakh, and the tender specifies that the company must provide a one-month supply of reagents upon installation. The kiosks will be connected to an online platform, allowing patients and doctors to access health data for follow-up consultations.

BBMP staff will be trained on the machines to assist users, and telemedicine services will be integrated later to provide access to specialists. “This is similar to the model launched last year in Kalaburagi, where health ATMs screen for up to 50 parameters,” said BBMP's Suralkar Vikas Kishore.