Hakim opens KMC’s second satellite healthcare centre

Kolkata: Mayor Firhad Hakim inaugurated the second satellite urban health and wellness centre of the civic body at ward number 2 under Borough IX of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) with the aim to further strengthen the primary healthcare facilities in the city.

“We have urban primary health centres in each of the 144 wards of KMC. However, several wards in Kolkata span across a large area and the population is over 20,000 extending upto 30,000. Under the circumstances, people from one part of the ward have to take a lot of hassle in reaching out to the urban primary health centre in his/her ward. So, we have decided to come up with satellite health centres to ensure that people can avail all facilities of primary health care in close affinity to his/her residence,“ Hakim said.

He maintained all types of medicines related to fever, cough and cold, stomach upset, diabetes, malaria etc will be given free of cost to patients availing services from the health centre which is equipped with specialist doctors.

“Satellite health centres like these will relieve the pressure of patients in government hospitals. People requiring primary health care facilities would come here rather than crowding hospitals like SSKM. If doctors in these centres feel that a patient requires specialised treatment the patient will be referred to the nearby government hospital,” added Hakim.

Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh, who heads the Health wing of the KMC said that satellite centres will be set up in every ward of KMC to supplement the existing ones. 59 such centres have already been approved and tender has been floated for setting up these facilities,” Ghosh said.

According to Ghosh, the urban primary health centres that offer free-of-cost treatment have already catered to 29 lakh population in the city among which over 17.5 lakh are those who hail from the slum areas.

The satellite health centre at Chetla is the second one in the city with a similar facility already being launched at ward number 3 in North Kolkata.