To ease burden on existing healthcare facilities in Urban and Semi-Urban areas

Mysore/Mysuru: In yet another health care initiative of the State Government, ‘Namma Clinic’, modelled on the Union Government’s Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), was inaugurated at Madhuvana Layout, Srirampura in the city this morning.

Speaking after inaugurating the Clinic, District Minister S.T. Somashekar said that ‘Namma Clinics’ are being set up across the State and this is the first one in Mysuru city.

Explaining the salient features of the Clinics, Somashekar said these are aimed at providing basic healthcare services to the urban poor, slum dwellers and lower income groups.

Pointing out that the objective of the Clinics is to ease the burden on existing healthcare facilities in Urban and Semi-Urban areas, he said Doctors and Nursing staff have been roped in on contract basis for running the ‘Namma Clinic’, where free primary healthcare is provided. If necessary, the Clinics would refer to specialist treatment in Government Hospitals, he added.

Referring to the welfare of differently-abled children, Somashekar lauded the efforts of MLA S.A. Ramdas in coming to the aid of such children.

K.R. MLA Ramdas, in his address, said that ‘Namma Clinic’ is not just a temporary healthcare facility, but a permanent one, working throughout the year.

Asserting that this healthcare facility was opened on the day marking the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Ramdas said that it was Vajpayee who first launched welfare schemes for the differently-abled under the provisions of the Constitution.

Highlighting the achievements of the Vajpayee Government in various sectors, the MLA said that ‘Namma Clinic’ sends out a message for the public to have a perception that ‘It is my Clinic and my Doctor’. The Clinic, apart from medical consultation, will also provide the prescribed medicines, he added.

Water beds, Wheel chairs, Air beds, M.R. Kits, Crutches, C.P. Chairs and other prosthetic equipment were distributed to over 160 differently-abled beneficiaries on the occasion.

Mayor Shivakumar and others were present.

It may be mentioned here that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had launched 114 ‘Namma Clinics’ located across the State recently at Bengaluru. There are 438 such sanctioned Clinics in the State, out of which 6 will be in Mysuru district, including three in Mysuru city — at Srirampura, which was inaugurated today;  at Hootagalli on Hunsur road and at Yaraganahalli, which are due to be inaugurated shortly. The three other Clinics in the district will come up at H.D. Kote Handpost in H.D. Kote taluk, T. Narasipur and K.R. Nagar towns.