The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) that seeks to address the health concerns of the urban poor has started to take shape in Vellore district.
Though the mission came into effect in May 2013, only recently the city urban health society comprising a governing body and executive committee was formed.
“Both National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and NUHM now come under the National Health Mission (NHM). Urban Health Mission will focus on strengthening the urban health infrastructure,” K. Poonkodi, deputy director of health services, Vellore said.
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Eighteen centres, which include urban health posts and urban primary health centres (PHC) of the Directorate of Public Health (DPH), will come under NUHM in the districtOf this, 10 urban health posts and urban PHCs in Vellore Corporation limit will now come under NUHM.
Five urban PHCs under DPH at Ambur, Gudiyatham, Vaniyambadi, Tirupattur and Pernambut in Tirupattur Health Unit Division (HUD) and three in Vellore HUD at Arakkonam, Arcot and Ranipet will come under the programme.
In Corporation limits, a city programme management unit (CPMU) has been formed.
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“One of the first duties of a CPMU is to form patient welfare societies at each of the health centre. Each centre will cover a minimum of 50,000 population,” said K. Rakesh, assistant programme manger, NHM, office of DDHS, Vellore.
While the NRHM caters to the rural population, NUHM will be for the urban. It aims at addressing the health concerns of the urban population, particularly the poor and other disadvantaged sections, officials said.
Its objective includes facilitating equitable access to quality healthcare by revamping the public health system. NUHM has roped in urban local bodies in enhancing health access to people. Dr. Rakesh said work to demarcate area boundaries and population to be catered by the centres has been completed. “Area mapping has been done and baseline data has been given. There is concentration on vulnerable population especially on slum population,” he added.