114 'Namma Clinics' to be inaugurated on December 14: Health Minister K Sudhakar
Bengaluru, Dec 12: The Karnataka government will be launching 114 'Namma Clinics' on December 14, aimed at providing primary healthcare services to vulnerable sections, especially slum dwellers, daily wage workers and other economically weaker sections of society.
Twelve types of health services will be available at the centre, and each clinic will consist of a medical officer, a nurse, lab technician, and a Group D employee.
This is a project with a total cost of Rs 150 crore, and most of the clinics will start working in government buildings.
"Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will dedicate Namma Clinics on December 14. In the initial phase, 114 clinics will be launched simultaneously across the state... It is a matter of pride that for the first time in history, more than 100 clinics are being inaugurated simultaneously. This will be an all-time record," Health Minister K Sudhakar said.
He said the government is working to operationalise all 438 Namma Clinics across the state soon as announced earlier and all the remaining ones will be operational by January 2023.
A total of 243 of Namma Clinics will be functioning under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area, and work is underway to make them functional for public service by the second week of January, he said, adding at the least 150 clinics will surely be available for public service.
Each Namma Clinic will cater to a population of 10,000 to 20,000.
The 12 kinds of services include pregnancy, postnatal, neonatal care, childhood and adolescent care, universal immunisation services, family welfare, contraceptive, infectious disease management, common and minor ailment care, diabetes, blood pressure management, chronic diseases, oral ailments, etc.
Free referrals will also be given to other hospitals for ailments that need tertiary care such as breast and uterine cancer, eye examination amongst others, Sudhakar said.
Elderly care, emergency medical services, health check-ups and medicines will be completely free. Fourteen lab tests, teleconsultation services, wellness activities will also be available free of cost at Namma Clinics, he added.
Already 300 doctors have been appointed and there is a shortage of doctors at a few places.
The minister said alternative arrangements have been made in such places and 80-100 doctors in compulsory rural service will be appointed at such places.
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Eggs safe for consumption, cancer risk claims unfounded: FSSAI
New Delhi (PTI): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has categorically dismissed recent claims linking eggs to cancer risk, terming them "misleading, scientifically unsupported and capable of creating unnecessary public alarm".
In a statement issued on Saturday, the food safety regulator clarified that eggs available in the country are safe for human consumption and that reports alleging the presence of carcinogenic substances in eggs lack a scientific basis.
The clarification comes in response to media reports and social media posts claiming detection of nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ) -- substances purportedly linked to cancer -- in eggs sold in India.
FSSAI officials emphasised that the use of nitrofurans is strictly prohibited at all stages of poultry and egg production under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.
The regulator explained that an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) of 1.0 µg/kg has been prescribed for nitrofuran metabolites -- but solely for regulatory enforcement purposes. This limit represents the minimum level that can be reliably detected by advanced laboratory methods and does not indicate that the substance is permitted for use.
"Detection of trace residues below the EMRL does not constitute a food safety violation nor does it imply any health risk," an FSSAI official said.
FSSAI said India's regulatory framework is aligned with international practices. The European Union and the United States also prohibit the use of nitrofurans in food-producing animals and employ reference points for action or guideline values only as enforcement tools.
Differences in numerical benchmarks across countries reflect variations in analytical and regulatory approaches, not differences in consumer safety standards, the authority noted.
On public health concerns, FSSAI cited scientific evidence indicating that there is no established causal link between trace-level dietary exposure to nitrofuran metabolites and cancer or other adverse health outcomes in humans.
"No national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with increased cancer risk," the regulator reiterated.
Addressing reports related to the testing of a specific egg brand, officials explained that such detections are isolated and batch-specific, often arising from inadvertent contamination or feed-related factors, and are not representative of the overall egg supply chain in the country.
"Generalising isolated laboratory findings to label eggs as unsafe is scientifically incorrect," the statement said.
FSSAI urged consumers to rely on verified scientific evidence and official advisories, reiterating that eggs remain a safe, nutritious, and valuable component of a balanced diet when produced and consumed in compliance with food safety regulations.
