Karnataka govt simultaneously launches 114 'Namma Clinics' across State
Bengaluru, Dec 14: The Karnataka government on Wednesday simultaneously launched 114 'Namma Clinics', which would provide primary healthcare services to vulnerable sections, especially the urban poor and daily wage workers, across the state.
The Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated a Namma Clinic at Bhairidevarakoppa in Hubballi of Dharwad district in the presence of Health Minister K Sudhakar, among others.
Twelve types of health services will be available at these centres free of cost, and each clinic will consist of a medical officer, a nurse, lab technician, and a Group D employee, an official statement had said earlier.
Health Minister K Sudhakar said the government is working to operationalise all 438 Namma Clinics across the State as announced earlier and all the remaining ones will be functional by January-end.
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 operational for public service by January second week, a statement said.
Each Namma Clinic is expected to 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 and diabetes, it added.
A new era in Karnataka's Public Healthcare!
— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) December 14, 2022
In line with Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision of making quality primary healthcare accessible to all, CM Shri @BSBommai dedicated 114 'Namma Clinics' across the state in the first phase in Hubballi today.
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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.
