Padmanabham mandal in Visakhapatnam district was selected by the State government to implement the family doctor concept on a pilot basis. The Health Department will start implementing the project from this week and submit a report to the higher officials.
According to the Health Department officials, a doctor from the Primary Health Centre (PHC) will be made available for the people in Ward and Village Sachivalayam. The doctor would deliver out-patient services for the ward residents from 9 a.m. to 12 .30 p.m.. There will be a lunch break from 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. Again from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., the same doctor would visit the houses of those patients, who are severely sick, need of antenatal and postnatal care in the ward.
“Before the day of the doctor’s programme in the ward Sachivalayam limits, the ANMs, ASHA workers and Mid-Level Health Providers (MLHPs) will conduct door-to-door visit, identify people who need doctor’s service and submit the list to the doctor. The PHC doctor will visit these houses and provide health services,” said District Medical and Health Officer K. Vijaya Lakshmi.
Padmanabham mandal has two PHCs and 14 Ward Sachivalayams. Each PHC has two doctors. The Health Department has prepared a plan to ensure one doctor stays at the hospital, while another doctor implement the family doctor concept, the DMHO added.
The Health Department officials have already started their preparations and also conducted a training programme for the staff at PHCs, ASHA workers, ANMs and MLHPs in Padmanabham mandal on Saturday. They are likely to kickstart the implementation of the concept on July 26 or 27, following instructions from the State government.
The State government is planning to roll out the family doctor concept from August 15, aiming at improving health services, especially among the rural population. Recently, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the officials to chalk out plans for successful implementation of the concept.
