Hyderabad: The network of Basthi Dawakhanas aimed at providing free clinical care to the needy from the poorer sections is all set to get strengthened further in the city and the process of recruiting doctors and staff nurses is in progress.
Currently, there are 123 Basthi Dawakhanas operational under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has recently sanctioned 227 more of these facilities, taking the total dawakhanas to 350. The works are in progress to have them operational in next three months.
Expanding the network, six more Basthi Dawakhanas are also being planned in Sangareddy with two clinics coming up in Patancheru, RC Puram and Medak.
Accordingly, recruitment of doctors and staff nurses for the new clinics has been initiated and notifications have already been issued. In Hyderabad district, 94 doctors and 58 staff nurses, in Ranga Reddy district, 21 doctors and 31 nurses, and in Medchal district 48 doctors and 48 nurses, are being recruited.
Keen competition
The last date to apply was February 24 and heavy competition was witnessed with 492 applications received for 94 doctors and 3,478 applications submitted for 58 nurses posts in Hyderabad. “The applications are being scrutinized and the final merit provisional list for doctors will be uploaded on March 7 and staff nurses list on March 18 on the website www.hyderabad.telangana.gov.in,” said Hyderabad DMHO J. Venkati.
The officials have appealed to the applicants not to fall for any agent and other persons who offer them recruitments. “The entire process is done transparently on merit basis as per the GO 124 guidelines,” he said. There will be phase II of recruitments in a couple of months.
Toll free number
Further, to make it convenient for patients to lodge complaints in case of any irregularities and delay in service, a toll free number is being planned exclusively for Basthi Dawakhanas. As a temporary measure, telephone numbers of DMHOs, GHMC Additional Commissioners and other officials will be displayed shortly at the clinics, he informed. Senior Public Health Officers are currently monitoring the operations at the clinics and initiating measures to ensure quality service. In tune with the State government’s vision, the GHMC is working to set up the new dispensaries at the earliest. A five-member team is working long hours to identify sites and open the dispensaries. About 50 Basthi Dawakhanas will be ready for launch in a few days and 50 more clinics will be ready for inauguration in another three weeks. Majority of the dispensaries are being set up in community halls and other government- owned lands. On an average, 90 out patients are registered at each clinic daily. Besides free consultation, more than 130 different types of medicines are dispensed and 55 diagnosis tests are performed free of cost at these facilities.
Expeditious work
Senior Public Health Officers are currently monitoring the operations at the clinics and initiating measures to ensure quality service. In tune with the State government’s vision, the GHMC is working to set up the new dispensaries at the earliest. A five-member team is working long hours to identify sites and open the dispensaries in the coming days.
About 50 Basthi Dawakhanas will be ready for launch in a few days and 50 more clinics will be ready for inauguration in another three weeks. Majority of the dispensaries are being set up in community halls and other government-owned lands.
The concept has been a big hit with many making good use of the services being offered at the clinics. On an average, 90 out patients are registered at each clinic daily. Besides free consultation, more than 130 different types of medicines are dispensed and 55 diagnosis tests are performed free of cost at these facilities.