Hyderabad: Most urban primary health centres (UPHCs) in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits are either dysfunctional or struggling with staff crunches. There are as many as 85 Urban Health Care centres which would provide preventive health care, Antenatal Care (ANC), post-natal care (PNC), immunisation, family planning, minor ailments and implement disease control programmes. Out of 85 UPHCs, about 45 UPHCs were being maintained by the civic body.
As per norms, there should one UPHC for every 10,000 people with one medical officer, one public health care nurse, three to eight auxiliary nurses/ midwives (ANMs), one Class Four employee to maintain records and five to 20 Asha workers per each.
However, the city has one UPHC for about 40,000 to 60,000 people and there are only five doctors available out of the 25 required. There are about 350 hospital staff currently working against a total 2,700 needed. The civic body has been spending Rs 86 lakh on salaries and Rs 29 lakh on maintenance, for electricity, water etc.
Though the government has planned to set up 1500 basti dawakhanas, it could manage to set up only 104 in two years due to non-availability of space and lack of funds. Though officials were asked to hunt for space in GHMC community halls and private buildings, the staff could not find this space for a year now. The authorities have now decided to institute 97 basti dawakhanas within a span of 15 days.
