100 Community Health Centres in Karnataka's rural areas soon: Sudhakar

Though a wee bit late, National Doctors’ Day was observed at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday. CM Basavaraj Bommai and Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar felicitated doctors who provided exceptional services, especially during the Covid crisis.

Dr Arundhathi Chandrashekhar, Mission Director of National Health Mission, Karnataka, was honoured for exhaustive work during the pandemic in all fields. Dr Kiran Kumar, Joint Director (Medical), and Dr Ramesh Kaulgud, Project Director (IDSP) at the State Health Department, were given lifetime achievement awards.

Many other doctors, including Covid TAC members, were also felicitated. Bommai also felicitated Minister Dr Sudhakar. Doctors’ Day, usually observed on July 1, was celebrated late this year.

Speaking at the event, Dr Sudhakar said that the government would soon inaugurate 100 Community Health Centres in rural areas in the aspirational taluks in North Karnataka within a month. Also, 500 Namma Clinics would be opened in urban areas, of which 243 would be in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru clinics would be opened in two months, in localities with high BPL populations, he said.

Bommai said the government plans to have doctors from premier institutions (like Jayadeva Hospital) hold camps in all districts for cardiac and cancer checkups and surgeries.

He added that mental healthcare programmes would also be started in all districts to reduce the burden on big facilities like Nimhans.

Bommai also promised free eye checkups and glasses for the poor aged over 60 years, and to initiate chemotherapy in 12 more facilities in the state.