Under the 15th Finance Commission, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) has established a total of six Aapla Dawakhanas and eight Shahari Arogya Vardhini Centres in the city, offering free medical services to the public.
The initiative, inaugurated online by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on May 1, 2023, commenced with the first Aapla Dawakhana in Padegaon.
Guided by Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad, MLA Sanjay Shirsath, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator G Srikanth, Additional Commissioner Ranjeet Patil, and Medical Officer Dr Paras Mandlecha, Aapla Dawakhanas were sequentially established in Savitrinagar, Rajnagar, Vitkheda, and Harshnagar. Additionally, eight Shahari Arogya Vardhini Centres were inaugurated.
Over 1 lakh patients received treatment in these Dawakhanas and Centres, with 15,992 patients undergoing blood tests.
CSMC also operates 39 health centres in the city, providing medical services from 9am to 1pm. For patients unable to visit health centres in the morning, the centres operate from noon to 8pm. Dr Mandlecha, the Medical Officer, mentioned plans to expand the number of Aapla Dawakhanas due to the positive response from the community, encouraging residents to make use of the available medical facilities.
In another news, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Commissioner Shekhar Singh recently said that the civic body is set to launch 'Nagri Arogyavardhini Kendras' and 'Vandaniya Balasaheb Thackrey Aapla Dawakhana (Smart Clinics)' at 40 locations throughout the city.
This initiative, under the National Health Mission, aligns with PCMC's commitment to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to all residents.
Singh highlighted that the initiative is a crucial step forward in the concerted efforts to make healthcare accessible and affordable for all residents of Pimpri Chinchwad.
