BBMP likely to retain PHCs

Sanjay R Murty

NT Bengaluru

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is set to retain the responsibility of managing Bengaluru’s Urban Primary Healthcare Centres.

Amid reports of the State Government’s plans to take over the PHCs in the city, the BBMP’s Special Commissioner for Health Dr K V Trilok Chandra told reporters about the BBMP’s decision on Friday.

He said that a proposal has been submitted to the State Government citing the need to retain the PHCs with BBMP as primary health is an essential part of the BBMP’s functions according to the BBMP Act.

Earlier this month, the State Department of Health and Family Welfare Services (DHFWS) reportedly issued a statement mentioning the proposal of taking over 51 health centres, including two community health centres, from the BBMP.

Meanwhile, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath was reported to have said that he had received requests from several PHCs to extend their tenure under the BBMP. ‘One body governing PHCs will get better results’

The State Nodal Officer for National Urban Health Mission Dr Prabhudev B Gowda told News Trail that the 48 Primary Health Centres that were managed by the DHFWS in the outer zones of BBMP were handed over to the civic body during the first wave of COVID-19 to aid in better management of the pandemic in the city.

“Currently there are PHCs managed by the BBMP, DHFWS and the ESI apart from the institutes under the Medical Education Department in the city. In some cases the administration is under the Bengaluru Urban District Deputy Commissioner, while facilities are provided by the BBMP,” he said, adding that a single administrative body governing healthcare services will make the system more efficient.

The BBMP’s Special Commissioner for Health Dr K V Trilok Chandra clarified to News Trail that the State Government had earlier proposed that the civic body hand over only those 48 PHCs which were previously under its administration. “However, we have requested for improvement in infrastructure in all the PHCs under BBMP limits,” he said.