SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Bengaluru: In a move aimed at taking specialist healthcare closer to rural communities, the Karnataka government is preparing to partner with government and private medical colleges to improve services at taluk hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres.
The plan seeks to address the acute shortage of specialist doctors at healthcare facilities outside district headquarters. At present, the shortage often forces patients to travel to district hospitals for treatment, increasing the workload on these facilities.
As part of the proposed model, medical colleges will enter into agreements with the government and adopt health facilities. Each medical college will be expected to support one taluk hospital as well as community and primary health centres, enabling specialists attached to the institutions to provide services at the grassroots level.
Gynaecology, anaesthesia, paediatrics and orthopaedics are among the key specialities expected to be covered. The availability of these specialists at taluk-level institutions is expected to improve access to maternity care, emergency treatment, surgeries, paediatric services and treatment of bone and joint-related ailments.
Patients seeking specialist consultation will be able to register in advance. This is expected to make the system more organised and help health facilities prepare for specialist visits.
The government also plans to strengthen referrals between healthcare institutions. Patients who require treatment unavailable at taluk-level centres can be shifted to higher hospitals through 108 ambulances and other ambulance services. Telemedicine and digital consultations will provide another channel for specialist advice.
Under the arrangement, every adopted facility will have a monthly timetable indicating the availability of visiting specialists. Authorities will monitor the functioning of these centres every month, including staff attendance, delivery of services and treatment quality.
The programme will also provide an opportunity for medical students, interns and postgraduate students to gain hands-on experience in rural healthcare settings. Officials are also looking at encouraging research and systematic documentation of healthcare challenges and outcomes in rural areas.
The government hopes the initiative will strengthen the public health network at the local level and reduce avoidable referrals to already crowded district hospitals.
SOURCE : SIASAT
