A primary health centre caters to a population of 30,000 while a sub-centre provides health services to about 5,000 people. (Express photo)
The state government is planning to transform health sub-centres into health and wellness centres across several districts in a phased manner. At least 25 health and wellness centres will be set up in Pune district, while another 90 will be set up in Satara, Dr Sanjay Deshmukh, deputy director, (Pune circle), told The Indian Express.
These centres will provide medical services such as maternal and child care, and they will also screen for non-communicable diseases and initiate preventive treatment. A primary health centre caters to a population of 30,000 while a sub-centre provides health services to about 5,000 people.
From September 1, the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences will also start a six-month training programme for Bachelor in Ayurvedic medicine and surgery (BAMS) doctors. Each sub-centre, which will be transformed into a health and wellness centre, will get a team comprising a BAMS doctor, a health assistant, an auxiliary nursing midwife and three other health workers, said Deshmukh.
Initially, 25 sub-centres will be transformed into health and wellness centres at Indapur and Baramati tehsils, said District Health Officer, Pune Zilla Parishad, Dr Bhagwan Pawar.
Services such as palliative care, geriatrics, ophthalmic and ENT, dental and trauma care and others will also be provided. “We will maintain patient folders so that there is a medical record of past medical ailments and treatment,” said Pawar.
Health officials said if initial preventive screening and testing services were provided at these health and wellness
centres, it would also reduce the burden on larger tertiary hospitals.