TS Govt to extend timings at Basti dawakhanas

Hyderabad: Considering the working hours of the basti dawakhanas that serve slum dwellers, the Hyderabad's district medical and health officer, along with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), decided to extend their timings till 8.00 pm for few basti dawakhanas on a pilot basis very soon.

The basti dawakhanas are the latest in the efforts of upgrading primary healthcare made by some states in India. Delhi government started mohalla clinics in 2016. Telangana government has also started around 60 basti dawakhanas for the slum dwellers in various areas to serve them at free of cost.

Seeing the overwhelming response in some areas, Hyderabad district medical and health officer, along with the civic body, is planning to extend the timings till 8.00 pm in two areas, Ganganagar and Narasimha basti, in city to help the people in slums. Every day, nearly 100 outpatients come to Ganganagar and around 50 to 60 patients come to Narasimha basti.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Venkat, district medical and health officer, Hyderabad, said, "We set the target to start 124 basti dawakhanas in several areas in the city last year, and we have started in a phased manner, and now around 61 basti dawakhanas are there in city and 18 more dawakhanas are ready to start soon," he said.

"We have recruited staff nurses, but some more doctors are required then we are going to start in some more slums. We will start 18 more basti dawakhanas once we get the community halls in some slum areas," he said.

One doctor, staff nurses and one other staff are there in each basti dawakhana, and they usually operate from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. We are planning to extend the timings till 8.00 pm on pilot basis upon seeing the overwhelming response in Ganganagar and Narasimha basti, a doctor said.

Slum people have requested the officials in Ganganagar and Amberpet to extend the timings of the basti dawakhanas till 8.00 pm, as they will come from the work in the evenings, and they can avail the services.

A basti dawakhana provides outpatient consultation for minor ailments, screenings for blood sugar, blood pressure, anemia, provide basic diagnostic services and around 50 lab tests.

Each of these dawakhanas has been provided with good number of stock of essential medicines that are dispensed to patients at free of cost. These include medicines for hypertension, diabetes, malaria, dengue, allergies and infections.