To give total health cover to urban poor and other unprotected sections of the society, Punjab Government on Sunday gave nod to execute the Urban Health Mission (UHM) in the State. State Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said the health department had embarked upon a plan to implement the UHM on the pattern of Rural Health Mission in the State. The UHM will cover slum dwellers and other marginalised urban dwellers like rickshaw pullers, street vendors, railway and bus station coolies, homeless people and street children along with construction site workers. Under the UHM, as many as 40 towns have been identified where 155 Primary Health Centres with OPD (out-patient department) facilities would be established while 13 community health centres will be set up in ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar.
These centres would be well equipped with latest machinery and diagnostic units with OPD and in-door facilities for the patients. Besides, 769 paramedical staff would also be appointed to ensure uninterrupted healthcare facilities in these newly set up health care centres. “The initial mapping work has been done in all the identified 40 towns to be covered under Urban Health Mission. In the very first year, total 93 urban primary health centres would be set up,” he said. As many as 126 doctors, 33 full-time and 93 part-time, 186 staff nurses, 33 pharmacists, 93 lab technicians and 340 ANMs would be appointed. He said that the modalities have been worked out and the posting orders of the entire staff would be given within a month.
Jayani, referring to the assured healthcare facilities being extended by the government to the slum dwellers, said that 2394 Asha Workers would be appointed to educate the slum dwellers about health and hygiene.Total 8974 Mahila Arogya Samitis would also be created in the identified slum areas.