Himachal govt plans to set up 40 Urban Health and Wellness Centres

SHIMLA: State government is mulling to set up 40 Urban Health and Wellness Centres (u-HWCs) across Himachal Pradesh to provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the people. On getting functional, these centres will transform healthcare accessibility, delivering quality essential services directly at the doorstep of the people. The government will equip each u-HWC with a dedicated specialized team that will include a medical officer, pharmacist, auxiliary nurse midwife, and class-IV staff members.Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that it is important to expand the network of Primary Health Care delivery systems in urban areas and to ensure quality infrastructure and services in these canters. At present, there is one Urban Primary Health Centre for every 50,000 persons. The plan aims to bring a drastic improvement to this ratio with a target for each u-HWC to cater to around 20,000 people.He said this will ensure more targeted and personalized healthcare services for people residing in urban areas. This strategic initiative underscores the government's commitment of providing quality and affordable public healthcare facilities at doorsteps to all the citizens, he said, adding that establishment of these u-HWCs is a crucial step towards achieving a robust and inclusive healthcare system in Himachal Pradesh.He said this government initiative also recognizes the unique healthcare needs of urban residents, by acknowledging the diverse population, including migrants from other states, settled in urban settings. This would also tackle the problem of lack of frontline healthcare workforce, evident especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.He said this plan also signifies a progressive leap towards a more resilient healthcare framework and at the same time addressing the distinctive health challenges faced by urban communities and reinforces the government's commitment of establishing the world-class public healthcare network in the state.Emphasizing the importance of Universal Comprehensive Primary Health Care, he said that it plays a crucial role in improving health services and the cost associated with it, thereby making society healthier while also reducing morbidity and mortality rate. He said this approach also significantly diminishes the demand for Secondary and Tertiary Care and as a result, minimizing expenditure burden on citizens.