Fomer IAS officer Harsh Mander, technical adviser to the Union government on National Urban Health Mission and special commissioner to the Supreme Court for right to food, on Friday took a look at the health and sanitation facilities in Kochi Corporation area as part of his study across the country for National Urban Health Mission.
M. Beena, director, National Rural Health Mission, Kerala, chaired the session held with Mayor Tony Chammany, Deputy Mayor B. Bhadra, T. K. Ashraf, standing committee chairman, councillor K. J. Sohan, P. K. Jameela, director, Health Services, Tani Thomas, Kudumbasree district coordinator among others.
The meeting listed out the public health facilities in the corporation area and how accessible they are to the urban poor. A robust health infrastructure network of the rural areas needs to be replicated for the urban area too, it was said as the existing system was too inadequate to address the health needs.
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The team headed by Mr. Mander also visited slum dwellers in Udaya Colony near Kadavanthra and Santhom Colony in Moolamkuzhi to understand the need of housing, water, sanitation and health care of the slum dwellers.
The health system also needs to address alcoholism and mental health, it was decided at the meeting.
One primary health centre for a population of 50,000 would bring in 12 PHCs in the urban setting here with each PHC needing two doctors and four staff nurses. Mr. Mander will also be visiting Thrissur to study the town’s health needs.
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On Saturday, Mr. Mander will have meetings with the State and district Health authorities at the General Hospital. He will also have interactions with ASHA and Kudumbasree workers in the health sector.