HMC to set up 3 primary health centres

Kolkata: In a bid to provide better health service to citizens, Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) is setting up more urban primary health centres, which will start functioning in the next one and a half months.

The civic body has taken up a project to set up three more urban primary health centres, which will take up their total number to 15. At present, 12 are functioning in the area under the municipal corporation, but the project to set up three more primary health centres was taken up to ensure better health service to the residents.

The three health centres are coming up at ward number 10, 19 and 61 of the municipal corporation and the location to set up the same was identified following a proper assessment.

The health centre at ward number 10 is coming up at Sitanath Bose Lane near Salkia. The one in ward 19 is coming up at Bellilious Lane and the third one in ward number 61will be developed at 273 GT Road.

The construction of the buildings of the primary health centres has already started. The work is going on in full swing to ensure that all the three primary centres can be made functional in the next one and a half months.

Dr Rathin Chakraborty, Mayor of HMC, said: "It is the policy of the state government to take all necessary measures to provide health service to the people and setting up of the three new primary health centres will ensure the same."

Bhaskar Bhattacharjee, MMIC (Health), said: "We expect that the fully equipped health centres can be opened in the next one and a half months for common people."

There will be all sorts of facilities in the health centres, including pathological laboratories and diagnostic centres, where different tests will be carried out free of cost. There will also be the facility of carrying out tests for dengue and malaria.

Besides the pathological laboratories, there will also be out patient departments in the health centres. At the same time, steps have been taken to ensure presence of minor operation theatres in all the three primary health centres.