500 Basti Dawakhanas to come up across Telangana soon

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is taking steps to ensure quality primary healthcare services are available to the poor in urban centres by expanding the Basti Dawakhanas. By the end of June this year, all major and minor urban centres will have a total of 500 Basthi Dawakhanas in the State.

The State health department has prepared plans to increase the number of Basti Dawakhanas to 350, covering all areas under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and neighboring districts of Medchal-Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts. The remaining 150 urban healthcare facilities will cover the remaining major urban municipalities.

Health Minister T Harish Rao recently held a review meeting on urban dispensaries, where he stated that at present, there are 363 Basthi Dawakhanas in Telangana, while 57 others are ready for inauguration. The remaining 80 Basthi Dawakhanas will be completed in the final phase by June-end.

To meet the demand for healthcare services, arrangements will be made to open the Basthi Dawakhanas on Sundays if necessary. The Minister said that senior doctors should be available every day between 9 am and 4 pm.

In addition to the urban health centres, a total of 3206 Palle Dawakhanas will be fully functional across all parts of Telangana by the end of May. The health department is taking steps to recruit 321 vacant posts in these Palle Dawakhanas. Legible Telugu sign boards highlighting the timings (9 am to 4 pm) and the list of health care services that are available at Palle Dawakhanas will be set up.

The senior health officials have been directed to ensure that all major medical infrastructure projects, including the construction of Warangal Health City, four Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) super specialty hospitals, and NIMS in Hyderabad, are completed within this year. The Roads and Buildings department has been asked to meet the deadline as the government plans to inaugurate all the super specialty hospitals by the Dasara festival.