The Times of India      22.11.2013

Vadodara Municipal Corporation changes health centre timings

VADODARA: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has changed the timings of its urban health centres. The health centres will now remain open in the evening too for the convenience of patients.

The health centres earlier operated between 9 am and 5 pm during the day. But a recent state government directive stated that these should remain open from 9 am to 2 pm and then from 5 pm to 8 pm.

The VMC had earlier sought opinions of its medical staff that had suggested that the existing time was suitable.

But the timings suggested by the state government were implemented after instructions from the top brass of the civic body.

Sources said the new timings would, however, lead to complications as the VMC had the same staff for running its dispensaries and doing field work. Effectively, the first session of the clinics from 9 am would not function in the real sense as staff would go for field work related to health programmes and other tasks during this period.

According to officials, the clinics earlier operated from 9am to 12.30pm after which the staff went for field work.

The reporting of the field work was done from 4pm to 5pm.