VADODARA: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is eyeing a major revamp in the health services it provides in the city. The civic body is eyeing to set up new health centres in the city and upgrade the existing facilities.

The civic body currently operates 30 health facilities in the city which include 17 urban health centres (UHC), four full-time clinics, seven part-time clinics and two staff dispensaries. The number of these facilities and the staff of the health department, has, however, remained the same since around 25 years.

The health department has moved a proposal stating that an six additional UHCs and relocating some existing ones so that the entire population of the city can be covered in a better way. It has proposed that for a population of 50,000 persons there should be a UHC.

It has been suggested that out patient departments should be operated at the health centres twice a day. It has also suggested that medicines and pathological examination services should be provided at the centres besides other facilities.

The health department has also suggested that three additional deputy health officers besides the existing single post must be appointed. Each of these officers will supervise work in a zone of the civic body.

The proposal put before the standing committee has, however, raised some eyebrows as some VMC officials feel that it should have been moved through the deputy municipal commissioner (administration) and not directly by the health department. The standing committee of the civic body will now have to take a call regarding the issue.