MADURAI: Alright folks, Listen up! You will soon have access to better medical services as the civic body is all set to open three Urban Community Health Centres (U-CHC) that were upgraded from Urban Primary Health Centres (U-PHC).
For those who are scratching their heads on how this is exactly going to benefit you or your loved ones, here come the ABCs.
The U-CHCs will treat a host of health issues. Right from helping your expectant partner deliver a child to recommending a diet chart for your underweight kid, suggesting a soap to your teenage daughter to get rid of that itchy patches to explain to you what problems your chemical messenger system is facing, the U-CHC has pretty much everything to serve you and your family better.
Curious to know which U-PHCs have been upgraded?
The ones in Sellur, Pudur and Ansari Nagar. City Health Officer (in-charge) Senthil tells TNIE that these U-PHCs were zeroed in on for upgrade as they are strategically located.
While upgrade of the U-CHCS in Sellur and Pudur were completed, the officials are busy in ensuring the operation theatres at these U-CHCs free of microorganisms by carrying out a swab test. Similarly, the construction works of Ansari Nagar U-CHC are underway.
"The works will be completed in a month," Senthil added. According to the National Urban Health Mission, each U-CHC would cater to the medical needs of 2.5 lakh population. Currently, the city has 31 U-PHCs in its limits with one U-PHC for every 50,000 - 60,000 population.
Also, the Public Health Department of the civic body recently sent a proposal to the Central government to upgrade Avaniyapuram U-PHC at a cost of Rs 1.75 crore.
"As the U-CHCs would offer specialty services, we sought additional specialists. We also sent a proposal for an Rs 85-lakh-worth building for Kodikulam U-PHC and an Rs 85-lakh-worth additional building for Villapuram U-PHC," he added.
Here is a sneak peek into the new facility
| U-PHC | U-CHC |
| Open between 12 pm to 8 pm | Round-the-clock service |
| No in-patient care | 30 to 50-bedded |
| Consultation & dressing rooms, basic medical equipment | Upgraded diagnostic facilities, fully equipped laboratory, x-ray machines, ultra-sonography |
Services in U-PHC
* Out-patient department (consultation), (patient/doctor/stethoscope icon)
* Basic lab diagnosis (lab icon)
* Drug/contraceptive dispensing (tablet icon)
* Distribution of health education material and counselling for all communicable and non- communicable diseases (document icon)
* Services under National Health programmes (health icon)
* Referral services, social mobilisation & community-level activities. (people icon)
Services in U-CHC
* Obstetrics (pregnant woman icon)
* Gynecology (woman icon)
* Pediatrics (kid icon)
* Ophthalmology (eye icon)
* ENT (lens icon)
* Orthopedics (bone or muscle icon)
* Dermatology (skin icon)
* Endocrinology (molecules icon)
* Mental health (brain icon)
* General surgery & general medicines (surgery icon)