Scared netas skip launch of 40 basti clinics
Fear of the dreaded coronavirus has made ministers forego the inauguration the 40 Basti Dawakhanas in city slums scheduled for March 18, thereby ignoring the instructions of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who in January had instructed the civic authorities to construct 227 dawakhana additionally apart from existing 123 on a war-footing.
Following his instructions, in a knee-jerk reaction, the corporation had made an official announcement that a fivemember team would work expeditiously to identify sites and open dispensaries at the earliest. The team identified about 163 locations, however, the corporation faced a backlash at three sites and began work at 160 locations.
The corporation completed the construction of 40 dispensaries and hired staff to make them operational from March 18. However, highly-placed sources in the corporation said that none of city leaders and ministers were ready to inaugurate them due to fear of coronavirus. Sources said that while few of them were busy in taking preventive measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus spread, the remaining said that they cannot inaugurate citing the situation in the city.
Basti Dawakhanas, since their launch, have been extending quality treatment to the poor and the downtrodden in slum areas.
Even, consultations during evenings are operational at 18 dispensaries and in the offing is the ophthalmology service.
At present, specialist services are being offered in nine areas, including general medicine, physiotherapy, pulmanology, dermatology, paediatrician, orthopaedician, general surgeon, psychology and ENT twice a week or based on appointments.
However, ignoring the coronavirus crisis, neither GHMC official nor the politicians have made an effort to make the newlyconstructed dispensaries operational.
Basti Dhawakhana initiative is a joint collaboration by the city’s municipal administration,
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Central government, which have allocated `1,200 crore for Health and Wellness Centres under the Ayushman Bharat programme.
The intent of the project was to establish a health centre at areas which lack Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) and also to reduce the burden on tertiary hospitals like Osmania General Hospital, Niloufer and Gandhi Hospital, including Urban Primary Health Centres.