‘KMC exploring possibility to set up satellite health centres in all 144 wards’
Following instructions from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will explore the possibility of setting up satellite health centres in all 144 wards to further extend its primary healthcare services to all residents within the civic body areas.
While inaugurating an urban health and wellness centre in ward-14 at Bagmari Road, the Mayor of KMC, Firhad Hakim said that people elect MPs, MLAs or councillors to ensure their problems are being taken care of by their elected representatives for a period of five years.
“If we fail to serve the people then we will be removed after five years. Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that though the people have elected us as the ruling party, our work is not to rule but to act as caretakers of the people,” Hakim asserted. KMC is constantly trying to find out how it can render civic body services in a better way and fulfil the needs of the people. “Ward 14 is a huge area. One primary health centre already exists here but now we have set up a satellite health centre. We are trying to set up satellite health centres or urban health wellness centres in the wards which cover a huge area with a considerable population. It was observed that in such areas although one section of people are getting to avail the healthcare services, another section is getting deprived,” he pointed out.
The Mayor highlighted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently spoke to him and applauded the efforts of the KMC. She has requested to explore the possibility of setting up such satellite centres in all 144 wards. “It is only in Kolkata, there are wards with a huge number of people, such as ward 66 where the population count is 92000 approximately. In ward 14, there are about 44,000 people while in my ward (ward 82) the population is about 40,000. In ward 78, there are almost 48000 people. One KMC ward is like an entire constituency,“ Hakim said.
The Mayor added that KMC primary healthcare centres have now almost become tertiary care centres.“This was much needed since if everyone rushes to hospitals for minor illnesses that can be taken care of with basic medicines, then ones with serious illnesses such as heart issues can get proper attention at hospitals where congestion will also be reduced.
This is now the norm over the world where patients are first attended to by primary health care centres and then referred to hospitals if required. Thus, KMC is exploring the possibility of setting up such satellite centres in the majority of the wards,” he said.
