Maharashtra Govt Expands OPD Services At Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Introduces Village Clinics And Home Visits

Mumbai: In a move to strengthen primary healthcare in rural and remote areas, the Maharashtra government has expanded outpatient department (OPD) services at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, introducing village-level consultations and regular home visits to improve access to medical care.

Revised OPD Timings Include Village Visits And Doorstep Consultations

According to a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the state Health Department on October 29, these centres will provide OPD services from Monday to Saturday. While morning OPDs will operate from 8 am to 12.30 pm from Monday to Friday, health officials will visit villages between 2 pm and 4 pm to examine patients. Home visits will follow from 4 pm to 5 pm to monitor their health conditions. Saturdays will be reserved for OPD services, health-related meetings and telemedicine consultations.

Under the revised arrangement, an OPD will be conducted in one village every day at an Anganwadi centre, primary school or gram panchayat office. The schedule will be fixed in advance, with ASHA and Anganwadi workers informing residents to ensure regular attendance.

Pregnant Women, Newborns And Patients With Chronic Illnesses To Receive Home Visits

The initiative also places emphasis on doorstep monitoring of vulnerable patients, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, newborns, young children and patients suffering from tuberculosis, leprosy, sickle cell disease and requiring palliative care. Health workers will conduct regular follow-ups, particularly for high-risk pregnancies and children, besides undertaking surveys to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

The government has also made regular use of the e-Sanjeevani telemedicine platform mandatory to facilitate consultations with specialist doctors. The centres will provide 14 types of laboratory investigations and must maintain adequate stocks of essential medicines, injections, intravenous fluids and diagnostic equipment.

To ensure accountability, medical officers at Primary Health Centres will review the functioning of the centres daily, taluka health officers weekly and district health officers monthly. Reviews will cover OPD attendance, telemedicine consultations, referrals, home visits and other healthcare activities.

A seven-member committee has also been constituted to oversee the expansion and quality of services. It will meet every three months and submit its review report to the state government.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/