100 more Basthi Dawakhanas: K T Rama Rao

The Telangana government’s initiative of reaching out to hitherto unreached sections of the society to extend primary healthcare through a network of Basthi Dawakhanas is yielding positive results, with efforts on to soon add 100 more such facilities, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister KT Rama Rao said here on Friday.

Presently, 197 Basthi Dawakhans were extending necessary care for free to the poor and needy close to their homes in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and as per the directions of Chief Minister K.Chandrashekhar Rao, the total number of Dawakhanas would be increased to 300 in a phased manner, he said.

“Basthi Dawakhanas are playing a crucial role in extending quality medicare to the poor,” Rao said at a review meeting held here on Friday.

The network of dawakhanas on an average was attending to 25,000 out-patients and providing a host of free check-ups and diagnostic services including basic lab diagnosis, free medicines, ante-natal and post-natal care, and screening for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and



diabetes.

The idea is that every division should have at least one Basthi Dawakhana in areas where the poor leave and where needed, two or more facilities should be set up, the Minister told the officials. Expressing satisfaction at the functioning of the facilities, Rao directed officials to ensure that 100 more Basthi Dawakhanas were set up in next one or two months time. “With many double bedroom houses communities being constructed in different parts of the city, efforts will be made to set up Basthi Dawakhanas in such places,” he said.

The officials told that Minister that through the facilities, presently 5,000 diagnostics were also being conducted every day and they were ready to scale up the investigations. These testings were done through Telangana Diagnostics and the results were being shared on mobile phones with the patients.

Some of the Basthi Dawakhanas did not have toilet facilities and efforts were on to provide the same, officials said adding that where there was space crunch, mobile toilets would be deployed for the patients.