Govt to upgrade 2,800 health sub-centres

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 23

The state government is set to upgrade nearly 2,800 sub-centres to health and wellness centres for the early detection of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental illnesses.

Officials said in the first phase, 75 sub-centres would be equipped with better infrastructure and human resource to provide adequate healthcare. “The process of upgrading the sub-centres has begun,” said Dr Mohan Singh, Director, National Health Mission (NHM), J&K.

At present, the sub-centres, which are manned by auxiliary nurse midwives, focus on immunisation of children. However, Dr Mohan said the health and wellness centres would have a doctor or a nurse, who have been trained for providing “middle-level” treatment for NCDs and mental illnesses.

He said, “We will train these doctors and nurses for six months before posting them at the centres.” The government would also train doctors posted in Ladakh under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram.