more-in Lack of full time doctors in the Primary Health Centres (PHC) was raised by members in the Legislative Council here on Saturday. Raising the issue, TRS member Paturi Sudhakar Reddy said the PHC at Koheda mandal of Siddipet district had no doctor for almost one year. The mandal general body meeting passed a resolution seeking a full-time doctor, yet no action was taken so far. The centre serves around 26,000 patients a year and over 90 patients a day. Though the government said that institutional child births improved after the introduction of ‘KCR Kits’, a sarpanch said no deliveries were taking place in the PHC for want of a doctor. Health Minister C. Laxma Reddy said the doctor in Koheda PHC was on maternity leave. The government had sanctioned 570 posts of doctors, he said, assuring that appointments would be made soon. However, he said 11 deliveries were conducted in the Koheda PHC and the infant mortality was zero. Slum clinics The Health Minister also said 17 of the 45 ‘Basthi Dawakhanas’ (slum clinics) proposed by the government in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits to provide PHC services, particularly in slum areas, would function from community halls in April. The rest would be set up during the year. Responding to a query from M.S. Prabhakar Rao in the Council, he said 40% of population lives in cities, but conditions in slums were deplorable. Slum clinics were proposed to cater to the health of people . The clinics would have a doctor, staff nurse and supporting staff with facility for OP and tests. These clinics would be linked to Urban Health Centres. The clinics would serve as wellness centres on the lines of sub-centres in rural areas, he said. TRS member M.A. Saleem urged the government to inspect major corporate hospitals in Hyderabad, where he said poor were discouraged to go as outpatients. He alleged that unnecessary surgeries were being performed in corporate hospitals and they should be monitored. He also pointed out that though efforts were being made to improve government hospitals, doctors were not available most of the time.

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