As a vital step in improving the public health in the city, the Kochi Corporation with the help of National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), will set up 13 urban primary health centres in the city.

The Union Government took a decision recently to form NUHM as a new sub-mission under the National Health Mission NHM). As per the scheme, one Urban Primary Health Centre is mandatory for a population of 50,000.

“Our plan is to convert the existing Mother and Child Welfare centres in the city into  Urban Primary Health centres (UPHC). The 13 facilities will be converted into UPH centres. The total fund allocation by NUHM for setting up the PHCs is Rs 1 crore,” said an official with the Kochi Corporation.

As per the NUMH guidelines, it is also mandatory to set up one Urban Community Health Centre for five to six primary health centres in big cities. “Hence Kochi will have two such facilities. Besides, one auxiliary nursing midwife should be appointed for every 10,000 people and one accredited social health activist (ASHA worker) for 200 to 500 households,” he said. Each health centre will have an experienced doctor, nurses and other medical staff. “Treatment other than the specialised will be offered at the centres. The existing buildings will be renovated before being converted into UPH centres,” said the official.

The  NUMH  will also extend support to the civic body in organising medical camps, including child medical camps and awareness camps. A woman medical officer will also be appointed as part of the scheme.

The estimated cost of the NUHM scheme for the first five-year period is Rs 22,507 crore. The Union Government will pump in Rs 16,955 crore as its share for the projects under the scheme.