done...Aurangabad: The civic body which is undertaking construction of urban primary healthcare centres (UPHCs) under the central government’s National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) has confirmed that construction of six out of the eight buildings will be completed in the next two months.Depending on the spatial distribution of the slum population, the city has received sanction for eight UPHCs. These healthcare centres would provide services for 8 hours convenient to the community they are catering to but the preferable timing would be from noon to 8pm.Deputy engineer Qamar Shaikh said guidelines for the construction were given by the office of the director of NUHM. The buildings are being constructed under ‘ground floor plus one’ plan.“Construction of the UPHC in Gandhinagar near Zafar Gate is completed. The construction of health centres at Sadat Nagar, Kabir Nagar, Shivajinagar, Central Naka, and Chetana Nagar in Harsul would be completed within two months,” Shaikh said.Following the construction, the engineering department would hand over the buildings to municipal officer, health, Nita Padalkar.When contacted, Padalkar said the key roles of the health centres will be to provide outpatient department and laboratory services. Dedicated staff such as medical officers, ANMs, staff nurses and lab technicians for the health facilities will be allotted by the government.The tendering process to procure furniture and medical equipment, for power and water connections and for other infrastructural requirement would be initiated simultaneously.Padalkar said these centres would help decentralisation of health services. “The UPHCs are intentionally being built near high risk and slum areas. It is observed that when the hospital is far away, people tend to ignore their health issues owing to the distance required to travel, leading to incomplete treatment and lack of follow up. These PHCs would ensure better reach for immunization campaigns and other health schemes, along with easy access to citizens.”Though primary healthcare through UPHCs will be available to all residents of the city, outreach services would be provided for the slumdwellers and other vulnerable population.

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