The much neglected, medical facilities and doctors starved rural healthcare centres called PHCs (public health centres) will soon be converted into wellness centres, if the Union Health Ministry has its way.

Under the National Health Programme, about 1,50,000 PHCs, sub-centres in rural India, will get this makeover. The programme needs financial support too so that timely payments can be made and it becomes effective, said Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Health & Family Welfare Minister.

The Ministry is reaching out to private sector participation in the programme as well. The goal is to screen everyone the age of 30 for major ailments like BP, diabetes, mental health, geriatric problems, oral cancer, cervix cancer, breast cancer and eye screening, Nadda said, while speaking at the LV Prasad Eye Institute here recently.

Lauding the work done by the GPR I Care (community eye arm) of LVPEI, which has completed 20 years, the Minister said the model could be replicated in delivering eye care services. Since 80 per cent of eye problems are curable, an aggressive strategy will yield results, he added.

PMJAY launch on Sept 22

Nadda said that on September 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadi Yojana ( PMJAY) in 29 States to help 10.74 crore families and 55 crore people from the marginalised sections of the society. They will be provided a golden card through which they can seek Rs 5 lakh worth of tertiary care per family per annum.

This is the world's largest universal healthcare programme and will bring a change in the healthcare scenario of the country. Around 1,350 high-end surgical procedures are included in it. The Government of India is positive to work with institutions like LVPEI, Nadda said.

Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care (GPRICARE) is a WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Blindness, said GN Rao, Chairman of LVPEI.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Telangana State & Andhra Pradesh, suggested the integration of services with institutional deliveries being undertaken by Government hospitals, so that every new born is screened and the problem is identified and addressed at that stage itself. “For that you should do screening at PHCs,’’ he said.

Bob MacMillan, President, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, said: “For eliminating avoidable blindness in Australia, we were referred to LVPEI's pyramid model of eye care.The passion to eye care by LVPEI is reflecting in the work it is doing. They are an inspiration to many more.’’

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