Govt to launch e-UPHCs

Highlights

One-and-half crore people living in urban areas in Andhra Pradesh are all set to get new health care services with the launch of 212 e-Urban Primary Health Centres (e-UPHCs). 

- As many as 212 e-Urban Primary Health Centres will be launched across the State to cater to the health issues of the urban population

Hyderabad: One-and-half crore people living in urban areas in Andhra Pradesh are all set to get new health care services with the launch of 212 e-Urban Primary Health Centres (e-UPHCs).

The urban population comes to about 29 per cent of the total population of the State. Besides, the urban population growth rate has shown an increase of about 400 per cent. But, what has been posing a disturbing picture was that 50 per cent of the urban population falls under the Below Poverty Line (BPL).

It was against this backdrop that the State government decided to strengthen the urban health services. It was also said that there were issues specific to urban health and they were fine tuned in the e-UPHC.

Speaking to The Hans India, principal secretary of Medical and Health department Poonam Malakondaiah said that the State government has decided to rely on technology to strengthen the urban health services and offer them at affordable costs.

“As part of the initiative, it was decided to establish 212 e-UPHCs in Public Private Partnership (PPP). This has been taken up under the National Urban Health Mission to operate an urban primary health services centre for every 50,000 population,” she added.

Accordingly, the service provider has to provide space not less than 200 sq ft for patient examination, conducting laboratory investigation, dispensing drugs, staff room waiting hall for the patients and hygienic surroundings. They would provide clinical services for not less than eight hours for six days in a week. In addition, mother and child clinic would be run twice in a week. The e-UPHCs will have telemedicine facility by centralised hub to be located in the State.

“The technology would help in roping in specialist services like consultation, medical management in cardiovascular diseases, gastroenterology, hypertension and other urban lifestyle related ailments though telemedicine at e-UPHCs,” the Principal Secretary said.

Similarly, the new centres offer 62 lab investigations and 17 health services including maternal health, family welfare, child health and nutrition, sexually transmitted infections (STI), reproductive tract infections (RTI) and others.

VRC Phaniharan

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