KMC to hold free medical camps in every ward

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has taken a move to bring more people under its healthcare banner and treat them free of cost.

The KMC’s health department has issued a circular stating that it will hold medical camps in its schools, clubs and parks in consultation with the councillors where people will be provided treatment free of cost.

The decision was taken as it was found that in many wards the turn-out of patients was poor. KMC will conduct massive awareness campaigns in the area urging people to attend the camps. As medicines are given free of cost, people often believe that they have not been treated properly.

Civic officials hope that the camps will help them to come out of this misconception. KMC has qualified doctors and specialists and this camp will bring more people under KMC’s medical service.

There are 144 ward health units under KMC along with 148 laboratories and 5 Dengue detection centres. The construction of health units in three newly added wards, namely, wards 142, 143 and 144 are on. The KMC labs have trained technicians and they are kept open 24×7 when malaria breakout takes place in the city.

The KMC doctors follow WHO guideline to prescribe drugs for malaria. This often varies from the dose given by private practitioners.

KMC has been praised nationally for its steps to combat malaria and dengue. KMC officials said once malaria was detected, medicine was given to the person afflicted with the disease, free of cost.

Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said it was the policy of the state government to give medical facilities to more people free of cost.