Hyderabad: GHMC plans 50 more Basti Dawakhanas

Adarsh Nagar: GHMC is planning to extend the health services of Basti Dawakhanas to new areas and adding 50 more to its already existing 224 State-run clinics.

Each day around 22,000 beneficiaries have been utilising the services of Basti Dawakhanas under GHMC limits and with 50 more such clinics, the authorities are hopeful of extending services in new areas.

According to officials, on an average each Basti Dawakhana receives about 90 to 100 outpatients every day for treatment, medical assistance and diagnostic tests. Since the Basti Dawakhanas are receiving good response helping denizens undergo free treatment, the GHMC has decided to extend the services to areas which lack such facility.

Presently, these clinics are offering more than 50 kinds of services including free tests like OPD consultation, basic lab diagnosis and provision of free medicines. "We are planning to increase the number of Basti Dawakhanas in the city to fulfill the medical needs of the denizens," an official at GHMC said.

Basti Dawakhanas were started in 2018 and now there were 224 basti dawakhans giving the best services to the people starting from 9am to 4pm every day in the GHMC limits. Each facility has a staff of doctor, nurse and medical assistant, apart from technicians in the pathology lab.

The Chief Medical Officer of GHMC, Dr K Padmaja, said that these Basti Dhawakhanas have proved to be most useful for the public. "The public should avail these services which were being rendered free of cost. If there was any problem in the Dawakhanas they can call the toll free number 040-21111111 and complain about the services," she added.