Minister for Health K.K. Shylaja on Tuesday inaugurated online the upgrade of 1,603 sub-centres into health and wellness centres.
A total of 125 sub-centres in Thiruvananthapuram were upgraded as health and wellness centres, 107 in Kollam; 76 in Pathanamthitta; 111 in Alappuzha; 102 in Kottayam; 85 in Idukki; 126 in Ernakulam; 142 in Thrissur; 133 in Palakkad; 166 in Malappuram; 109 in Kozhikode; 121 in Wayanad; 143 in Kannur; and 57 in Kasaragod.
Ms. Shylaja also inaugurated laboratories in 212 primary health centres that are to be upgraded as family health centres as part of the third phase of the Ardram mission and other construction work. Minister for Local Self-government A.C. Moideen was present for the inauguration.
Ms. Shylaja, in her address, said that the sub-centres would transform into family health sub-centres. Ground-level work was the most critical in health care.
Hospital from the sub-centre level had played an important role in COVID-19 prevention activities. Primary health centres had been changed into family health centres to provide the best treatment at the primary level.
It was excluding this that the sub-centres were being upgraded into health and wellness centres. These would ensure preliminary check-up, medicines, and medical advice at the local level itself. Better infrastructure, health services till the evening, lab facilities, control of lifestyle diseases, control of communicable diseases, and palliative care services will be provided here. An amount of ₹112.27 crore has been sanctioned for the scheme.
A total of 1,603 mid-level service providers were being appointed for the smooth functioning of the wellness centres, she said.
