- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Mon, 28 Apr 2025 04:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Uttar Pradesh are poised to become key healthcare providers with the implementation of two significant initiatives by the health department. The goal is to enhance services at CHCs, thereby reducing the patient burden on district hospitals, medical colleges, and other higher medical institutions.
The first initiative involves equipping all CHCs with CCTV cameras, allowing for centralised monitoring of activities from the headquarters. This will enable authorities to oversee operations at the CHCs, including patient flow, staff performance, and overall efficiency.
The second initiative focuses on providing telemedicine services at CHCs, connecting them with private sector specialists. This will allow critical patients at CHCs to receive expert consultations without having to travel long distances, ensuring timely and effective treatment closer to their homes.
The government has already initiated the process of making CHCs operational 24/7. Now, these centers will be integrated into a centralised monitoring system, similar to the existing system for district hospitals, called HOP (Hospital Online Performance Evaluation).
Under this plan, each CHC will be equipped with five to six CCTV cameras, covering areas like the slip counter, medicine counter, emergency room, labor room, and OPD. Officials at the Lucknow headquarters will monitor the activities recorded by these cameras, ensuring transparency and accountability. A budget of Rs 5 crore has been allocated for this project.
Additionally, 972 CHCs across the state will have access to private sector specialists through telemedicine. These specialists will provide consultations for critical patients, enabling treatment at the local CHC.
This initiative also has a budget of Rs 5 crore. According to Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma, Principal Secretary of the Health Department, detailed action plans for both initiatives are being developed, and implementation will begin soon.
